Shadow of the Dragon
by Lord Archive
Summary: Sakura faces deadly attacks from an unknown source, with Syaoran and Meiling returning to lend her a hand. Despite the battles, the greatest threat to love may be themselves. Continuation of CCS anime.
1. Sakura and New Beginnings

Naoko had always thought it would be neat if dragons truly existed. That such great and awe-inspiring creatures could walk the Earth would be a dream come true. And it was like a dream. A nightmare. Her panties were soaked with her urine caused by the unimaginable fright the beast instilled in her. She had been shocked when she first saw the beast emerge from a grove of trees near Tsukimine's main shrine. Now she felt like a measly insect as the great western wyrm strode past her, mere meters away from squashing her under its claws. The ground shook from the beast's immense weight as it moved. The monstrous roar it bellowed was deafening. Naoko saw the way the dragon's eyes stared down at Sakura as if she was a candy treat. If fear hadn't petrified her, Naoko would've yelled out a warning to her friend, or at least screamed at Tomoyo to put her damned camera down and run.

There was something distinctly wrong with Sakura's demeanor, though. The girl screamed in terror at even the slightest mention of the word 'ghost,' yet it seemed like she was staring the beast down. Where did that staff in her hands come from, anyway? The pink toy with a star on top wouldn't mean anything as the dragon reared its head back and unleashed hellfire from its jaws.

"JUMP!" Sakura called out and leapt straight into the air, shattering world records with her impossibly high jump as she dodged fiery death.

The dragon then caused a maelstrom of fierce winds by flapping its huge leathery wings at Sakura before she landed. The gusts sent her into an uncontrollable flight and ended up being saved from colliding into the side of the main shrine by an honest-to-God angel. For Naoko, beauty did not begin to describe the winged man holding Sakura protectively.

Once again the great wyrm unleashed fire at Sakura. A winged, maneless lion jumped into the path of the dragon's fire and fought back with its own inferno blast. That gave the angel the moment he needed to put Sakura down and go on the offensive, showering the scaly beast with crystals. Though it seemed unfazed by the assault.

"What is going on here?" Chiharu questioned behind Naoko.

"I don't know..." Rika trailed off.

Naoko couldn't reply, but was thankful she wasn't the only one who was scared stupid and seeing all of this.

"Earthy!" Sakura yelled, raising her staff above her. A card somehow spun in the air above it while a glowing circle filled with complex symbols appeared beneath her.

Suddenly the ground began to shake and tendrils of rock erupted, trying to ensnare the dragon. The great beast fought against the rising Earth.

"Wood!" Sakura cried out and the very trees went to aid in capturing the wyrm.

With the dragon struggling against the restraining ground and wood, the angel and winged lion floated in defensive posture toward Sakura.

"Kero-chan, is there any way to calm down Dragon-san?" Sakura questioned.

The great lion seemed taken aback at the girl's question. "Sakura-chan, western dragons, like that one, are a force of nature. You CAN'T calm them down."

The angel seemed annoyed. "There are two ways to stop this sort of dragon: seal it or destroy it. None of us know how to seal such a beast."

"Maybe we could call Eriol-kun and see if he remembers how?" Sakura suggested.

The dragon bellowed an ear-splitting roar and all the rock and wood restraining it exploded off its scaly body.

"SHIELD!" Sakura yelled, and Naoko and her friends suddenly found themselves inside glowing spheres as rock and tree collided with the protective barriers, leaving them unhurt.

Immediately the winged lion and angel leapt once again into battle against the enormous dragon, while Sakura stood still with her eyes closed. The girl's eyes snapped open with a look of fierce determination. "Big!"

And Sakura certainly got bigger. She had to have grown at least ten stories tall. Taller than the dragon was long. And with a lunge, she tackled the great wyrm, trying to restrain it with her now superior size and mass.

"Why did I have to do this in my school uniform?" Sakura muttered, somehow managing to joke while locked in combat. Flashing her panties to her few observers at the forest-enclosed shrine should have been the LAST of her concerns at the moment. "Dragon-san, please calm down. I don't want to hurt you," the giant girl pleaded. "Please calm down."

The wyrm did not relax at the tender plea. The beast twisted its body within her grasp and plunged its claw into her side. Sakura screamed in pain and instantly began to shrink. A tiny streak of light that was almost too small to see leapt from the falling girl and struck the great wyrm, apparently causing the dragon to be reduced in size as well.

Before the great beast was half its size, it let loose another roar and was back to its original immense size. The angel and winged lion moved to Sakura's side and produced their own protective shields as the dragon tried to slash the fallen girl into pieces.

"GOD OF THUNDER, DESCEND!" shouted a voice in unimaginable anger.

Despite that there was not a single cloud in the sky, the mother of all lightning bolts crashed from the heavens. The giant wyrm howled in pain from being struck.

"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura called out. She winced in pain when she turned her body to see him, but was happy to see the Chinese boy dressed in green standing atop the shrine's Moon Gate.

"Remind me to never piss off the brat," the winged lion muttered.

The dragon turned its great head and spewed out flaming death at the newcomer.

"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura cried out again, this time with fear in her voice. Then she relaxed. "He's still okay."

As the inferno died away, the arch had ceased to exist, but Li was standing there as if the structure was still intact, hovering in the air with a barely visible ball of air spinning around him.

Sakura pouted. "Yue-san, help Syaoran-kun."

The angel paused and turned toward the lion. "Cerberus, protect the Mistress."

"Like I would do anything else," the winged lion returned as the angel flew off.

"There has to be a way to stop Dragon-san without killing him," Sakura seemingly said to herself, her white school blouse now dyed red with her blood.

"You can't kill what's not alive," someone retorted.

"Meiling-chan!" Sakura chirped as the Chinese girl approached her.

"Gods, Kinomoto. Without Syaoran around, you fall all apart. You should've blasted the stupid thing into rubble already," Meiling chastised the girl, while a look of worry engraved itself on her face seeing the growing pool of blood. She ripped open the wounded girl's shirt and pulled some stuff from the bag she was carrying, placing it upon the bleeding injury.

Sakura seized up as pressure was applied to her side. "What do you mean, Meiling-chan? I can't kill him!"

Meiling shook her head. "Sakura, that's not a real dragon. It's a golem. Made back in Clow's time. It's nothing more than rock and magic used to simulate life. It wouldn't be moving if the magical statue inside it was removed."

Sakura blinked. "It's only moving because of magic... I thought that was its heart. It's not alive in any way? Nothing organic?"

Meiling shook her head. "Not one bit of it is alive."

"This might not work, but it's worth the try." Sakura struggled to sit up.

"Let Syaoran take care of it!" Meiling yelled at the injured girl.

"Syaoran-kun and Yue-san can't defeat it," Sakura returned, though her voice seemed weaker than before. She pointed at the battlefield where it was quite obvious the dragon was the one on the offensive while the boy and angel struggled to avoid being hurt by the great wyrm.

Meiling huffed and helped Sakura sit up. Both girls became very frightened seeing Li had been knocked down and that the dragon was about to claw him.

Sakura held her wand to her chest and called out, "Move."

Li tensed up, awaiting the claw to sink into his body. The dragon suddenly froze. Its talons a mere few dozen centimeters away from removing him from this world.

The winged lion blinked. A half-meter tall statue that was an exact, miniature copy of the now motionless giant dragon had appeared next to Sakura. Guessing that the smaller dragon was the golem's heart, the lion commented, "I won't call that a useless card anymore."

Sakura smiled. "I did..." The girl then collapsed upon herself, no longer conscious.

"SAKURA?" the winged lion shouted in distress.

"Damn it, Kinomoto! Don't you dare die on us!" Meiling cursed her friend with worry.

Li ran to Sakura like his life depended on it. "Meiling, treat her injury!" he ordered in rage. He then kneeled down and placed Sakura's head on to his lap. No more words came from him as his tense features began to ease.

The angel and lion nodded to each other. Suddenly the winged man turned into Sakura's first crush, Yukito. Then the winged cat turned into the stuffed animal she sometimes had around her.

Yukito knelt down beside Sakura. "I can help you. Yue knows how to treat this kind of injury. He'll guide me."

Meiling looked a little surprised, and then nodded.

"Should we call for an ambulance or something?" Rika questioned.

"No. Sakura-chan will be fine. Besides, it would be a problem trying to explain how she was injured," Tomoyo replied calmly, still recording everything.

"But she's been seriously hurt!" Chiharu protested. "She's lost so much blood!"

"The brat is taking care of that," the flying stuffed animal told her. "He's using his own life force to stabilize hers. He's making her body produce more blood and directing blood flow to keep it away from her injury."

"How...? How is any of this real?" Naoko questioned. "How can they use magic? How can a dragon be real? What the hell is going on?"

The stuffed animal folded its arms and glanced at Tomoyo, letting out a short laugh. "She can handle explaining that with her videos."

Yukito stood up. "Sakura-chan's injuries have been taken care of. She'll be fine with plenty of rest."

"Thank goodness," Li said weakly before collapsing beside the sleeping girl.

Meiling folded her arms. "He used up too much of his chi, didn't he?"

Yukito smiled gently. "Of course. Sakura might wake up before he does."

"What will we do with them?" Rika questioned. "We can't leave them here."

A car brake's squealed as it pulled up to them. Sakura's elder brother leapt out of the car and rushed to her side. "She IS all right, isn't she?"

Yukito's face quirked. "I AM still here, Toya. She'll be fine with bed rest."

Touya scowled. "Don't joke about that."

"Sorry." Yukito held his hands up defensively. "Now let's put Sakura-chan and Li-kun in the car and take them home."

Touya nodded.

"I'll explain everything after school tomorrow at my house, if that's all right?" Tomoyo asked her friends.

The trio nodded dumbly while they watched as Li was buckled into the car's passenger seat and Sakura was carefully placed along the back seat. The dragon statue was moved to the trunk. Without any further words, Touya sat down in the driver's seat and Meiling knelt beside Sakura on the car's floor. The automobile sped off, while Yukito and Tomoyo went to shrine.

The girls looked up at the once moving statue that towered above them. Each of them feeling smaller and incredibly lost in a world that didn't seem so big an hour ago.

* * *

**Card Captor Sakura - Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 1 - Sakura and New Beginnings**

_**By: Lord Archive**_

The characters of Card Captors Sakura belong to the fine women of Clamp and are used neither with consent nor for profit. All rights reserved. I'm only borrowing the characters. Syaoran... wouldn't like it if I kept Sakura. ;

Author's Warnings:  
In accordance to movie system rating this series would be rated PG-13, and as for television would rate TV M for mature audience, but would be viewable with no edits save for some incidents of vulgar language. Due to subjective nature of the ratings, for FFnet this series has been labeled with a mature rating for those who have poor views of some of the subject matter contained within.

This series contains:  
Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

This series will be played as Card Captor Sakura meets Kare Kano/His and Her Circumstances. It will not tiptoe around and make light of situations contained within the original canon, including inappropriate relations between teacher and student. As such this series will likely contain a darker feel to it than the anime of which this series is primarily based on. It will not ignore the light and fluffiness, either- but will try to blend and balance both.

Only a few items from the manga that do not contradict anime canon will be used, otherwise this will be strictly written in accordance to the animated series.

* * *

Naoko frowned. The rope across the Tsukimine Shrine's entrance announced it would be closed for a few days. She looked around and entered the shrine anyway. Carefully she made her way up the stairs. Her heart skipped a beat as she arrived at the courtyard. The gigantic dragon statue was still there, frozen in mid-attack.

"So, you had to make sure this wasn't just some whacked out dream too, huh?" Chiharu commented, moving from behind a tree.

"Makes me wonder what other 'dreams' I had that weren't dreams at all," Rika added, coming out of hiding as well. "How long have they been at this sort of thing?"

Naoko adjusted her glasses as she thought for a moment. "At least since Li-kun showed up the first time. Possibly some time before that."

"They've been fighting this sort of crap since they were fourth graders?" Chiharu questioned rather skeptically.

Naoko shook her head. "Not THIS sort of thing, at least. But toying around with magic, probably. There were lots of odd things going on during fourth and fifth grade."

Chiharu huffed. "Why didn't she tell us about this?"

"Probably because she was afraid that her being a witch would scare us away from being her friends," Rika replied. "Are you looking forward to seeing her again?"

Naoko and Chiharu's silence was all the answer that was needed.

* * *

Tomoyo gave a small wave as her trio of friends entered the classroom, but then sighed as they made no move to return the greeting. Not really surprising since they had been left out on Sakura's greatest secret that she had kept for five years. It must be upsetting for them to learn about it by accidentally becoming spectators to one of the magical girl's greatest battles. She would likely have to endure this silent treatment until she explained everything to them through her 'Documentary of the Beautifully Cute and Lovely Kinomoto Sakura, Sorceress Supreme.'

With a chime of a bell, the ever-prompt, middle-aged, overly professional, homeroom teacher Fukino entered classroom 3-C and began the school day for the ninth graders. After looking over the class to verify his absentee list, which not surprisingly included Sakura, the teacher cleared his throat. "Today we were supposed to have two new transfer students, but one of them has fallen ill." He turned to the door. "You may enter."

Meiling strutted into the room and waved. "Hey, everybody! I'm back!" She then blinked in surprise as no one responded.

Fukino looked at his papers. "What do you mean, 'you're back?'"

"I attended Tomoeda Elementary with most of them for about a year," Meiling replied. "For those of you I didn't meet then or somehow forgotten, I'm Li Meiling, cousin of Li Syaoran. My engagement to him ended some time ago and I am looking for 'Mr. Right.'"

"You were engaged to your cousin?" Fukino questioned, not liking her announcement of her 'availability' in the least.

"We're cousins through our great-grandparents. While getting engaged was largely my idea, our family didn't reject the idea," Meiling explained.

"I have another question for you: Why did Kinomoto-san call in for Li Syaoran?" Fukino questioned.

Meiling smirked. "Well, you see, Syaoran is Kinomoto's boyfriend, which is why my engagement went down the toilet. And when he met her yesterday, she was already not feeling well. He couldn't stay away from her and came down as well. As we hadn't settled into our place yet and Syaoran was at Kinomoto's residence, they let him stay there to recover."

Fukino scowled. The girl was obviously withholding some information. The fact that Kinomoto's best friend was giggling only added to his suspicion that Meiling was lying. "And what is so funny, Daidouji-kun?"

Tomoyo stood up to properly address her teacher. "Oh, nothing, Fukino-sensei. I was just remembering when Li-kun met Sakura-chan yesterday. He was so urgent to touch her, yet gentle. Nothing inappropriate happened, mind you. Just he couldn't be kept away from her. It had been close to a year since they last saw each other."

Fukino shook his head. If something was indeed going on with Kinomoto and Li, it was out of his hands to prove it. Her father had called it in and two similar vocal accounts of the illness put too much evidence against his suspicions.

* * *

Tomoyo sighed as she hung up her cell phone.

"They're still asleep?" Meiling questioned while walking alongside the girl.

Tomoyo nodded. "Sakura-chan used up a lot of magic on top of being injured. It's only natural for her to sleep like that to recover her energy."

Meiling sighed. "Then lover boy had to dump his energy into her to keep her alive." She then shook her head. "You know, seeing those two together still makes me jealous."

Tomoyo looked at her friend closely. "I thought you were over Li-kun."

"I am over him!" Meiling protested, but then paused. "Well, mostly. I'll always love him, but that's not why I'm jealous. It's that the only way those two won't end up married is if one of them dies first. That trick Syaoran did with his giving his chi to Kinomoto can only be done if there's some kind of familiarity to the person. The stronger the connection, the easier the energy can be transferred."

Tomoyo frowned. "But he used up all his chi to help heal Sakura-chan."

Meiling pouted. "Yeah, he did. His bond with her is THAT good. I've seen him practicing with it. While he could do it with his mother, his sisters, myself, Wei, and maybe you- he wouldn't be able to give any of us nearly as much energy as he did with Kinomoto."

"Oh." Tomoyo smiled softly. "I was wondering that if he used so much, that it meant he wasn't as connected to her."

Meiling laughed bitterly. "For me to give up my engagement to Syaoran, he had BETTER love Kinomoto more than anyone else."

"But it hurts seeing proof of that love," Tomoyo observed sympathetically.

Meiling gave a weak smirk. "Yeah, it does." She shook her head. "They do make a disgustingly cute couple."

Tomoyo chirped, "Of course!"

"Syaoran's sisters will want copies of the picture you took of them last night," Meiling informed.

Tomoyo giggled. "I'll be sure to print a few out." She continued to walk quietly with her foreign friend, but then asked a question that had been on her mind since yesterday, "Meiling-chan, how did you know about the dragon?"

Meiling frowned. "Well, it was made during Clow's time. He didn't make the thing, but he did capture it from the guy who did. It's been kept by our family ever since then."

"You didn't wake it, did you?" Tomoyo asked suspiciously.

Meiling scowled. "I'm not THAT jealous."

"Then who did?" Tomoyo asked.

Meiling shrugged in response while looking away, which caused Tomoyo to frown and wonder what the girl did know.

* * *

Sakura blearily opened her eyes. She didn't want to get out of bed. She never liked getting out of bed. And despite the stiffness in her side, it seemed especially comfortable right now with Syaoran sleeping next to her.

The girl blinked and glanced at the slumbering boy who lightly held her within a hug. Her sleep-fogged mind couldn't figure out why he was in bed with her. Not that she could think of any problem with him being there at the moment, either. She'd figure it out after she dealt with the reason that had woken her up.

"You're up!" Kero-chan cheered and flew over to the girl as she struggled to pull herself away from Syaoran and the bed.

"Ungh," Sakura muttered in a failed attempt to say 'good morning.'

The small, plushy-like creature frowned at her. "You still haven't recovered yet. Why are you up?"

Sakura weakly pointed. "Bathroom." She eventually managed to fully exit the bed. She briefly noted Syaoran reaching out for her in his sleep just before she collapsed to the floor in a heap.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" Kero-chan asked with concern.

"I don't have any energy," Sakura answered.

"Not surprising. You cast a lot of spells yesterday and was injured on top of that," Kero-chan explained.

Sakura paid no attention. "Bathroom."

"Huh? Right." Kero-chan frowned. He had to help her get to the bathroom somehow. Giant wings extended from his back, engulfing his diminutive form. When the wings parted, a giant, winged mountain lion stood there. He laid himself down next to his master. "Think you can climb onto my back?"

Sakura nodded weakly and did as Cerberus suggested, though she failed to notice him wincing as she grabbed his fur and then his wings to help pull herself up onto him.

Once the cat's passenger was safely on his back, he used his wings to help hold her in place. He padded over to the door and carefully pawed it open. As Cerberus made his way to the bathroom, he paused as someone stood in his way.

Fujitaka stared at the great beast that had his daughter safely nestled on its back.

The winged-cat laughed a little nervously. "Bathroom run."

Fujitaka nodded uneasily. "Sakura, how are you feeling?" he asked, stepping aside to let them pass.

"Tired," Sakura moaned.

"And Li-kun?" Fujitaka questioned.

"Still sleeping like a log," Cerberus replied.

"I've got to go to the university, Touya will be back from his part-time job soon," Fujitaka informed them.

The winged-cat nodded. "See ya tonight."

Nearing their destination, a questioned pierced Sakura's mind. "Since when has Dad known about you?"

Cerberus laughed guiltily. "A while back he caught me sleeping in the candy dish. Apparently your brother has been telling him about your adventures so he wasn't really surprised."

Sakura nodded her head against his furry back.

The winged-cat did what he could to help Sakura and maintain her dignity as she answered nature's call. Once finished, she climbed onto him again and was returned to her room.

Sakura could tell Kero-chan was trying to be careful as he returned her directly to bed, but she still ended up flopping into it. While Syaoran seemed to have slept through it, she immediately found his arms wrapped around her once again. She felt more energized, realizing he was feeding her his energy. She was about to comment on that, but she still felt unnaturally tired and the bed was far too comfortable. She was asleep in seconds.

Kero-chan carefully lifted Sakura's pajama top and checked her bandages, making sure her wounds hadn't reopened with all that movement. He gave a sigh of relief noting that no blood was visible. Apparently Meiling was good for something besides mouthing off, he thought.

* * *

A trio of girls stood gawking in front of the massive gates that led to a mansion. Tomoeda was a rather wealthy community. Each of the three girls' family worth was in the hundreds of millions in yen. Yet the property before them, itself, had to approach a trillion yen, and that wasn't taking in account any other assets the family may own.

"I knew Tomoyo-chan was rich, but not THIS rich," Chiharu commented disbelievingly. "She makes us look poor."

Her two friends could only nod at her statement.

"We may as well announce ourselves," Chiharu added.

The two girls nodded again.

Chiharu walked up to the gate and pressed a button next to the speaker.

"Daidouji residence. Please state you business," a young woman's voice politely demanded.

"Sasaki, Yanagisawa and Mihara here to see Daidouji Tomoyo-chan," Chiharu replied respectfully.

"We have been expecting you. Please enter and go to the main doors of the house," the woman informed.

The gate slowly began to open by itself and the three friends nervously entered. They sheepishly waved at the group of gardeners tending to the massive yard in front of the house. They were almost relieved to see Tomoyo's friendly face greet them at the door, along with Meiling.

"Welcome!" Tomoyo waved them all inside. "I have everything already set up in my room. Follow me."

"You certainly have a nice house," Rika commented politely, while gazing in wonder at various paintings and statues lining the foyer and the hallway walls. She felt like she was in a museum more than someone's home.

"Thank you," Tomoyo replied.

"My house in Hong Kong is bigger," Meiling bragged, and then smirked wryly. "But my room isn't even a third the size of hers."

Tomoyo opened the door to her bedroom.

The trio of guests gaped at the huge room before them. The area before them looked more like a living room but with a massive television and theater system dominating the wall to the right. Some distance to the left was an elevated floor which had an expensive bed and a desk cluttered with fabric and a partially visible sewing machine.

Tomoyo smiled sweetly. She motioned towards the table placed in the center of the living area of the room. "I already took the liberty of having the maid bring us some tea and cupcakes. Please sit down and I'll be able to show you my video that'll explain everything."

Meiling went and snatched one of the cupcakes before staking her claim to one of the couches, laying on it length-wise. Rika noted that one of the two chairs was slightly worn and had a remote control on top of the armrest and decided to sit down on the other chair. Naoko, on the other hand, opted for a front row seat, kneeling at the base of the table nearest to the big screen. Chiharu took the couch on the opposing side from Meiling and sat down on it sidesaddle to view the video. Tomoyo sat down at her favorite chair and press a few buttons on her remote control.

The light in the room dimmed as the television turned on. The speakers began to play an upbeat melody as the screen showed the words 'Card Captor Sakura' in bright pink on top of a light blue background.

The trio of girls blinked in surprise that Tomoyo's video contained a title screen and opening credits.

"What? No, 'Exquisitely Cute, Supreme Sorceress of Cards, Sakura?'" Meiling asked in a tone that one would think was sarcastic if they didn't know her.

Tomoyo sighed. "Actually I wanted to use 'Documentary of the Beautifully Cute and Lovely Kinomoto Sakura, Sorceress Supreme,' but Sakura-chan pleaded for something much more simple."

Large beads of sweat appeared on the side of the girl's foreheads upon hearing Tomoyo's reply.

"Why the opening credits?" Naoko questioned, her eyes glued to the now flashing sequence of Kinomoto in various odd dresses using a vast array of magic.

"It makes the tape look more like a movie and less real," Tomoyo answered.

The music stopped and upon the screen was Sakura coming home from school, wearing her elementary school uniform. She called out in greeting, but quickly found that her house was vacant. She shrugged and went to the refrigerator to grab a snack. Despite no noise or any evidence of something being wrong, the girl suddenly jerked her head and called out, "Is somebody there?"

A suspenseful tune began to play as Sakura became even more nervous while she looked around. She picked up her baton and clutched it tightly as if it was a weapon and cautiously walked through her home. "It's coming from the basement," she surmised.

Sakura shivered in dread. "Maybe it's some animal or something. It better not be a burglar." She shuddered again. Carefully and quietly she opened the door leading downstairs to her father's library. Her eyes darted everywhere looking for the source of the noise that wasn't heard by anyone watching the video.

The young girl's gaze rested for a moment on one shelf of books, but then turned away. "Maybe it was my imagination." She then whirled back around and saw one of the books was glowing. As if being moved by some unknown force, Sakura approached and picked up the book. The clasp on the book popped open by itself and the girl opened it.

Sakura blinked at what was inside the book. It wasn't pages of writing but a stack of cards inside the hollowed out pages. She picked up the top card and looked at the English word at the bottom intently. "Win... Win... Windy," she finally managed, not having a full grasp on that language yet.

Suddenly a bright circle filled with complex symbols formed under the girl's feet. A huge gust of wind swirled chaotically around the girl. She was shocked at the turn of events, and failed to notice the cards in the book being flung into the air by the wind burst. The cards did not seem to notice walls or ceiling as they shot out and away from the book, disappearing from sight.

Meiling blinked repeatedly at the video. "You were there?"

Tomoyo shook her head and pressed 'Pause' on the remote to stop the video. "Afraid not. I had Sakura reenact it using Illusion. You might notice that Sakura is holding a Sakura Card and that she's a bit older than ten."

Meiling couldn't tell the difference in Sakura's appearance, but only now noticed the card in her hand was pink, not the brown of the original Clow Cards.

Naoko smiled proudly that her earlier deduction of when Sakura became a witch had been proven true.

With no further comment, Tomoyo resumed the video.

Sakura plopped to the floor, looking completely confused. The book she had been holding fell to the ground as well. The girl then blinked in amazement as the book glowed again and a winged, yellow plushy-like creature emerged from it.

"How ya doing?" the floating creature greeted. "Thanks for waking me!"

"Hoeh?" Sakura moved closer. "A Kansai accent?"

"Well, the book was in Osaka for some time," the creature replied.

Sakura grabbed the creature and started pulling at it. "Does this use batteries? Where's the switch?"

The creature broke away, screaming, "I'M NOT A TOY! I'm Cerberus, Beast of the Seal and protector of this book!"

"Seal?" Sakura questioned.

Cerberus nodded. "Yah! I protect the book to make sure the cards don't cause trouble!" The yellow mini-beast looked at the book and his mouth dropped and began to panic. "There are no cards? Why? Where'd they go?"

"You mean this?" Sakura questioned, handing him the Windy card she still held.

Cerberus nodded, obviously grateful to hold it. "Yes, this! This is it!" Then he looked at the girl. "Where's the rest of the cards?"

Sakura nervously scratched the back of her head. "Well, I read the Windy card... and a big gust of wind came... and they all flew away." She started laughing a little.

"I see." Cerberus joined in laughing for a second before screaming, "WHAT?"

The scene of the video changed to Sakura's bedroom. She set down a desert cake and then started to get ready for bed.

Cerberus glowed as he floated above the book he had come out of. "I can't tell where any of the cards are." He sighed dejectedly. "The Clow Cards were in this book."

"Clow Cards?" Sakura questioned.

Cerberus folded his arms. "The Clow Cards. When their seal is broken, disaster will spread in the world. Those cards are special, made by Clow Reed. Each one is alive and holds immense power. They all act as they like, and no normal person could stand against them. It's because of that, Clow made this book to seal them inside and put me as the beast of the seal.

"Anyway, we need to get these cards back." Cerberus picked up the spoon that sat next to the cake Sakura brought in earlier and pointed it at her. "So, I'll have you help me."

"Eh? Why do I have to?" Sakura demanded.

"You're the one who scattered the cards in the first place!" Cerberus retorted.

"But you're the one that's supposed to make sure these cards are sealed, right?" Sakura retorted.

"Well, I fell asleep for a bit," Cerberus replied a little nervously.

"For how long?" Sakura pressed.

"About thirty years," Cerberus answered with forced laughter.

Sakura's expression of shock was shared by most of the audience watching the video.

"And you call yourself the 'beast of the seal?'" the girl questioned.

"A lot of stuff happens in life!" Cerberus cheered, as if it answered everything.

"So that noise I heard was your snoring," Sakura commented in disbelief.

"Anyway, since you opened this book, it means you have some degree of magical power. What is your name?" Cerberus asked.

"Sakura," replied the girl.

"Okay, Sakura. Stand over there," Cerberus pointed.

"Hoeh." Sakura did as she was told and backed away from him.

Cerberus then began to glow. "Key of the seal... there is one here who wishes the contract with you. The girl by the name of Sakura. Key give power to the girl. RELEASE!"

As the yellow creature chanted, a small light emerged from the tiny keyhole on the book's latch. The light moved toward Sakura and began to enlarge, revealing a pink rod with a white, birdlike head inside the light. A glowing, golden circle filled with complex symbols formed beneath the rod.

"Sakura, take the rod!" Cerberus commanded.

Sakura struggled against the bright light but managed to grab hold of the rod, which grew longer in her hands.

"All right! It's the birth of a Card Captor!" Cerberus cheered.

The scene on the video changed again. Now Sakura was skating down the road, wearing pink pajamas. "I'm telling you it's impossible for me to be the 'Card Captor,'" she whined.

"And who was it that scattered the cards?" Cerberus retorted.

"And who was it that was asleep at the job?" Sakura shot back.

A sudden gust of wind blew them down the street.

"No time to argue," Cerberus called out. "It's time for the Card Captor to get to work!"

"Something that big is impossible!" Sakura complained, staring at the humongous bird perched on a shrine gate.

"Are you trying to be cute?" Cerberus growled.

The giant bird flapped its great wings, sending another gust of wind and launched Sakura into the air. Cerberus caught her by her shirt and struggled to set her back down on the ground safely.

"Sakura, your magic. You should be able to capture Fly card with the Windy card you already have!" Cerberus advised. "Use the key like I told you to."

Sakura nervously grasped the small key shaped object she now wore as a necklace. "Key which hides the powers of darkness, show your true power to me. Under the contract, Sakura commands you. RELEASE!"

Once again the magical golden circle formed beneath her, and the key in her hand grew to form the rod she had been given earlier.

"Now we need to get closer and use Windy," Cerberus informed.

Before Sakura could act on that, she had to duck as Fly swooped right over her. "It came after us!"

"Here it comes again!" Cerberus warned.

Again Sakura had to duck as the great bird attacked.

"Hurry and use Windy!" Cerberus called out.

"I can't use it like this. It's impossible!" Sakura whined, skating away from Fly.

"Isn't it a Card Captor's job to do something about that?" Cerberus countered.

"Something?" Sakura questioned in confusion, but then her face became determined. "Maybe there is something I can do." She began to skate even faster.

"What are ya planning?" Cerberus questioned, but ended up being blown away by a fierce wind that Fly threw at him.

When the world stopped spinning for the diminutive beast, he saw Sakura skating up the side of a cliff wall, using her speed and the wind generated by Fly to keep herself from falling. When the girl got above the great bird, she managed to flip off the wall and land on the bird's back.

Sakura barely managed to stay on the bird. Once she was sure she wouldn't fall off, she called out, "Become the wind that binds. Windy, release!"

A spectral image of woman appeared above Sakura and great winds began to surround the bird, forcing Fly to crash to the ground. Little Sakura rolled as she hit the ground and then stood up facing the trapped Clow Card.

Sakura raised her wand into the air and commanded, "Return to your true form, Clow Card!"

The giant bird struggled as it was literally pulled apart. Suddenly the great creature was a small card, resting before the exhausted girl that had sealed it.

"I thought I was going to die!" Sakura whined, her adrenaline obviously leaving her.

"Is that anyway for a Card Captor to talk?" Cerberus chastised.

Sakura huffed. "I never said I agreed to be a Card Captor."

"The more you experience in life, the better person you'll be," Cerberus said sagely before laughing. "Well, you went through all the trouble of capturing it, why don't you use it?"

"What does it do?" Sakura questioned.

"Hit it and find out," Cerberus replied.

The scene then changed to a grainy and poor quality image of Sakura flying with Cerberus next to her.

"This time I was there," Tomoyo pointed out. "I'm so happy I managed to get her first flight on tape, though it's such a shame I missed her first capture."

"Hoeh?" Sakura voice called out. On the screen was a mountain of desks and chairs piled up in the middle of the school's field.

"Well, that brings back memories," Chiharu commented dryly. "We spent a lot of time cleaning that mess up."

"So what card did this?" Naoko questioned.

Tomoyo pressed pause. "There's a hint in the screen. What's missing?"

The girls peered at the screen. Chiharu and Rika didn't see anything off. But then Naoko called out, "Wait a second! What time was this taken?"

"Oh, a little after eight in the morning," Tomoyo replied.

"Shouldn't the morning sun be casting much larger shadows?" Naoko asked. If it wasn't for the grainy image indicating that this was original footage, she might've passed it off as Illusion not casting a shadow.

"So, it's the Shadow Card," Meiling commented. "Guess that one was a bit of a prankster."

"Many of them were like that," Tomoyo replied before she resumed the video.

Sakura fretted as she paced nervously. "There are g-g-g-ghosts at school during the night!" she whined.

Meiling shook her head. "Kinomoto can blow up skyscrapers, flood a city with water or snow, and the gods know what else; yet she still wusses out like that over ghosts."

"Well, this is when she was ten," Tomoyo reminded.

"Has she gotten over that fear?" Meiling returned.

"Not really," Tomoyo reluctantly answered.

* * *

If a glare could kill, Syaoran would be dead. Touya never did like the foreign boy, and it had nothing to do with how they met. Part of him wished he hadn't interrupted Li's rather poor first meeting with Sakura. That would've set them much firmer as enemies and would've made it harder for him to successfully steal what was truly important: her heart.

When Touya first saw Li, he knew the boy would take Sakura away. She was only ten-years-old, and there was the boy that fate had tied her too. They would fall in love and nothing anyone did could stop it short of killing one of them. He had never hated his magical second sight more than he did that day.

Touya sighed. He wished his little sister could've had a normal life. That she would go to college and have her own career before settling down with a family. However, he knew Sakura would follow their mother's footsteps. She would never graduate senior high school because she would be a mother instead.

"How are they?" Yukito asked, approaching the upset Kinomoto.

"Asleep," Touya almost growled.

Yukito smiled at the couple. "They're so cute together."

"No, they aren't," Touya returned. "They're monsters, and they'll make more monsters."

Yukito patted him on the back. "Fretting over things you can't change won't do you any good."

Touya huffed. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Perhaps you need a little distraction for the moment," Yukito advised with a sly grin. "How about a little 'nap?'"

"Fine," Touya muttered, closing his little sister's bedroom door.

Kero-chan, who had been sitting over the bed the entire time, huffed. "They better not make too much noise."

* * *

A trio of surprised shrieks echoed in the room.

"Li-kun tried to mug Sakura-chan?" Chiharu cried out.

"Talk about a bad first meeting," Naoko commented, shaking her head. "It's like a cliched manga meeting of the main couple."

"Though thankfully without all the misunderstandings and physical violence afterwards," Rika added. "Still, that is a bad way to meet."

"Rewind that and pause it when the lazen board is pointing at Kinomoto," Meiling ordered as she gave a confused stare at the video.

Tomoyo giggled nervously at her friends' reactions, and was uncertain about Meiling's request but did it anyway. She rewound the video a little too far and hit play. On screen Syaoran began to chant while holding his lazen board, a flat piece of wood with painted symbols on top. When the board produced a beam of light, Tomoyo froze the image. "Is something wrong?"

Meiling nodded. "Yeah, there's a mistake here. If the cards are in her pocket, the board would point there, not her heart."

"But it did point..." Tomoyo's eyes widened in surprise. "The Light Card! It's pointing at that! I never realized that."

Meiling huffed. "So that's how she had it when she faced the Dark Card."

Tomoyo nodded. "And here there was a hint where it was months before she found it." She then resumed the video.

As they watched the attack again, Chiharu repeated in disbelief, "Li-kun tried to mug Sakura-chan."

* * *

Syaoran groaned as he slowly woke up. He felt extremely comfortable and then stiffened into a statue as he noticed he wasn't alone in the bed. He jumped straight out of bed and across the room. He stared at the slumbering girl in disbelief. He then started patting his clothing to making sure they had been on the entire time.

"Geez, you two make a great pair," Kero-chan groused. "You're both lousy at waking up."

Syaoran blinked at the yellow plushy as it floated toward him. Slowly the events leading up to him falling asleep struck him and the boy lunged at the sleeping girl, knocking Kero-chan to the side in the process. He pulled up her pajama top to check her injury. He frowned as she winced in her sleep when he poked at her bandages.

Sakura's eyes briefly opened and she muttered, "More sleep." She grabbed hold of his arm and yanked him back into bed. Syaoran tried to sputter out protests, but they fell upon sleeping ears as the girl did not let go of the death grip on his arm.

Syaoran tried to relax, and the peaceful slumbering face of his beloved certainly helped, but that didn't help his problem. He needed to go to the bathroom.

* * *

The trial of Yue. The girls watched on like they were viewing an airplane in the process of crashing to the ground. Blow after blow rained upon their friend, and she would not fight back for the one causing her the pain was, in fact, her first crush who she still loved at the time.

They knew very well that Sakura would live, but to see her go through a life and death struggle against someone she cared deeply for was hurting them. And then when the Wood Card engulfed her in its branches and began choking her to death, they still feared for her.

"You have failed," Yue decreed, and the girls started in surprise as the screen faded.

Then the video showed Sakura waking up and muttered something about a dream. The young girl went through the day. But something was off. It became obvious that the warnings of Yue and Cerberus had come to pass: those touched by the Clow Cards would forget those they loved the most.

There were no pictures of Sakura's mother at her home. Nobody stood at the spot where Yukito would meet the Kinomoto siblings on the way to school. When Sakura arrived at school, Tomoyo practically ignored her presence.

Meiling looked over at Daidouji. "Just how much do you love Kinomoto?"

Tomoyo laughed a little nervously. "We're like sisters."

Meiling gave her a disbelieving look before noticing that Syaoran likewise barely registered Sakura's presence. Her gaze turned to a deadly glare. "He loved her even then? And she couldn't even figure that out? Gah! They're both stupid!"

Chiharu flinched at the image of her dismissing Yamazaki so casually, while Rika fidgeted at the lack of nervousness the screen's version of her showed when talking with a certain teacher, but was relieved to note that he also lacked a nervous edge as well. Naoko sighed noting that her reaction to the loss of love was the lack of books on her desk.

Meiling looked confused. "Doesn't look like Rika or Naoko were affected."

"Remember I'm in love with an older man," Rika reminded with a blush, hoping Meiling didn't figure out WHICH older man that was.

"I need a boyfriend," Naoko grumbled.

Sakura approached what should've been the Tsukishiro household, but the house was vacant and in serious need of repairs.

"What happened to Tsukishiro's grandparents?" Naoko wondered.

"He has none," Tomoyo replied. "It was a story used to get him into school."

"Then who changed Sakura-chan's clothes when she faced Illusion?" Naoko pressed.

"Tsukishiro-kun probably did. At that point he was very much in denial that he was not human. He probably doesn't even remember changing her clothes," Tomoyo answered.

"Or it could've been Yue. Sakura did have Windy and Watery already, so he should've been able to go to his true form if he wanted too," Meiling added.

"True, but Yue's power is harder to maintain so I don't think he would expend his energy just for that," Tomoyo returned.

"The one I love the most is Yukito-san!" Sakura cried out as a bell chimed through the dream world that faded away quickly. Back into reality Wood was dispelled and Sakura once again stood upon Tokyo Tower confronting Yue. With a little advice from her math teacher, Mizuki, Sakura's wand changed form and the young girl overpowered Yue with the Windy card.

With Yue's decree that Sakura was the new mistress of the Clow Cards, a song began playing as the magical girl celebrated her victory with Tomoyo and Syaoran.

"And that ends Sakura's first adventure," Tomoyo informed as she pressed stop and rewind.

"But more weird stuff happened the following year," Naoko whined. "Why did this stuff continue?"

"Well if it wasn't getting so late, I'd start up that video..." Tomoyo replied reluctantly.

"The short of it is Sakura was forced to transform the cards with her own magic, since the magic in the Clow Cards would eventually drain away to nothing. The cards became 'Sakura Cards' that feed off her magic rather than living on Clow's residual magic. The person behind it was Hiragizawa Eriol, the reincarnation of Clow," Meiling explained.

"It gets quite complicated," Tomoyo added.

"I can't wait to find out all about it!" Naoko chirped. "Can we come back tomorrow and see that one?"

"Certainly!" Tomoyo chirped.

* * *

Syaoran was quite thankful for all his meditative studies. Despite the pain of his full bladder, he was still able to control himself. It wasn't that he had a choice in the matter. Sakura had yet to relinquish his arm to him and neither her older brother nor the stuffed-animal would tell him a means of getting her to let go that didn't involve waking her or possibly hurting her. And her brother made it quite clear what would happen if he did wake Sakura up, which he frankly had no plans of doing.

While many would consider almost anything to be a welcome distraction, Sakura's cellphone ringing wasn't a comfort to Li as it not only broke him out of his meditation, but forced him to stop looking at Sakura as well. Believing that the only ones to have her cellphone number were Sakura's family, Tomoyo, Meiling, and himself, he picked up the phone with a half-formed threat in his mind if it was a telemarketer.

"Hello," Syaoran groused. "Yes, I'm awake Daidouji, and, yes, Sakura is fine. She's still sleeping." The girl rambled on to him for a few minutes while he only grunted in acknowledgement. When he finally had a chance to say something, he asked a little nervously, "Do you know any way to get Sakura to let go of something while she's sleeping without waking her?" Li waited as the girl pondered his question. He turned deep red and stammered, "I-I-I-I can't do that!"

Syaoran sighed as Tomoyo hung up on her end, laughing her strange laugh. There was no way he was going to do THAT to her. At least not yet and not with her asleep. If he tried that now and Sakura woke up or worse her brother walked in... he shuddered. He shook his head and tried to settle back into his trance using Sakura's face as his focus.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Tomoyo's video of scenes, especially those that were reenacted, are not a word for word rewrite of Card Captor Sakura. Part of the reason is that Sakura and Tomoyo don't have perfect memories and don't remember things exactly as they happen, and for reducing length of the whole video.

The current level of Touya's magical sight will be explained in the next chapter. It has not fully returned and it does not work exactly the same way it did in series.

The depiction of Tomoeda is that of a wealthy Japanese community. The houses they live in are worth between one to five million dollars US or hundred-and-fifty to seven-hundred-and-fifty million yen if not more. Property value, especially near Tokyo is beyond expensive. They are also shown to be involved in expensive recreation, whether it's Rika's piano classes or the fact Sakura had a Super Famicon (Super Nintendo) as soon as it was released.

Coming in Chapter 2: Sakura and the Return of Abnormal Days Sakura's life gets swept back into the world of magic with the return of her boyfriend. But has life been truly normal for her and her friends?


	2. Return to Abnormal Days

Sakura let out a roar of a yawn as she sat up in her bed. Her hand absent-mindedly stroked where Syaoran had slept just two days ago. It had been rather nice to sleep with him. The warmth and comfort he gave her was simply wonderful.

She then frowned as her mind proceeded to go over the events of yesterday. It had been rather embarrassing seeing her friends' reactions to Tomoyo's videos of her transforming the Clow Cards. Even she could tell her childhood friends had become uneasy in her presence. If it wasn't for the fact that at least Naoko would've written down about her being a magical girl, she might've used Erase to remove her friends' memory of the battle with the dragon and of Tomoyo's videos.

Sakura grimaced at the thought of the dragon battle. The Moon Gate had been part of Tomoeda for many, many years. Now it was nothing but ash. At least the dragon golem had been taken care of, sealed under the ground at Tsukimiri shrine thanks to her using the Earthy card on it yesterday. The dragon's heart was now a decoration for her father's library in the basement.

"Sakura..." Kero-chan floated in front of the half-asleep girl. "Time isn't going to freeze for you by itself."

"EEP!" Sakura dashed out of bed and got ready for the day. Like most students, she didn't particularly like school but she REALLY wanted to be there on time today as Syaoran would be there.

* * *

**Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 2: Return to Abnormal Days**

_**By: Lord Archive**_

Author's Warnings:  
In accordance to movie system rating this series would be rated PG-13, and as for television would rate TV M for mature audience, but would be viewable with no edits save for some incidents of vulgar language. Due to subjective nature of the ratings, for FFnet this series has been labeled with R rating for those who have poor views of some of the subject matter contained within.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

This series will be played as Card Captor Sakura meets Kare Kano/His and Her Circumstances. It will not tiptoe around and make light of situations contained within the original canon, including inappropriate relations between teacher and student. As such this series will likely contain a darker feel to it than the anime of which this series is primarily based on. It will not ignore the light and fluffiness, either- but will try to blend and balance both.

Only a few items from the manga that do not contradict anime canon will be used, otherwise this will be strictly written in accordance to the animated series.

* * *

Tomoyo hummed to herself as she prepared for the school day. Walking out to the back patio to have breakfast in the warm spring weather, she was surprised to note her mother was still home. "Good morning, Mother."

"Good morning, Tomoyo-chan," the elegant woman in a business suit replied. "I heard you had all your friends over to watch some videos."

Tomoyo nodded. "It was fun showing off some of my work."

Her mother raised an eyebrow. "Which videos did you show them?"

"My two master pieces starring Sakura-chan," Tomoyo answered.

Her mother pouted. "If only I had the time to watch them." She then glared at her watch. "But as always, business calls. Have a nice day at school, and tell Sakura-chan I said, 'Hi!'"

"I will. Goodbye, Mother." Tomoyo waved.

The teenage girl then sighed as a maid brought out her breakfast. She started picking at it. Yesterday, Naoko's curiosity caused the girl to ask that with a home like this, why she wasn't a spoiled brat. And she had replied that she knew there were some things she could never have. Things that she'd give up all her wealth for. She didn't tell Naoko what it was she truly wanted.

Tomoyo had a chance to talk to her friends about their discovery of Sakura's magic. She had made it a point that each of them harbored secrets that they didn't want anyone to know. True, Sakura's secret was amazing, but was possibly no less Earth shattering than what they kept silent about in their own lives.

There were a few secrets that Tomoyo held that she hoped would never come to light. That while she wanted to get to know her father, the reason she couldn't was because he had run off with the pool-boy when she was just a baby. Her entire existence was based on a sham marriage. Her mother needed to marry someone to inherit the family fortune and take over the business, while her father was a homosexual who wanted to hide his gender preference from his own rich parents. There had been no love between her parents. It was merely a matter of duty that led to her birth.

Tomoyo didn't doubt her mother's love for her, but to meet her father and get to know him was one of her three greatest wishes. The second was a lot more possible, but still unlikely. That her mother could spend more time with her. However, the job of being one of the highest ranked businesswoman in Japan left little time for family. Her third wish was something she knew would never come to pass, and would not speak it for fear of discovery of another of her highly guarded secrets.

* * *

Chiharu stretched as she awoke tangled up in bed sheets. Groggily she pulled herself free and shuffled her way over to the dresser. She scowled at the dust that had gathered on the model planes on top of it, as she had planned to clean the room over the weekend. However, the videos of Sakura had proved to be a more pressing matter.

Clean clothes in hand, the girl absent-mindedly made her way towards the bathing room. Her thoughts were still on the weekend. Though they were more focused on Tomoyo's words at the end of it. It was true that they each held secrets, but how could anything compare with Sakura being a witch?

Chiharu frowned as her own secrets may not be as grand, but could actually be more of an emotional burden. Part of her secret wouldn't really be much of a surprise considering the classroom nickname she had picked up, but the reasons why wasn't something she wanted to discuss with anyone who wasn't family.

"Good morning, Chiharu-chan," greeted a black-haired woman, who was folding towels in the laundry/changing room attached to the house's traditional Japanese bathing room.

"Good morning, Mother," the girl replied.

"You'd best hurry with your bath. It's getting late. Breakfast will be ready when you get out," the woman informed.

Chiharu bowed respectfully. "Thank you."

The girl stripped off her few pieces of clothes before entering the bathing room and set to the task of cleaning herself, her mind not really on what she was doing.

As much as Chiharu's mother had tried to shield the girl from the family's troubles so she could maintain her education as long as possible, life had become incredibly hard for her. Any time she was offered a free moment, she grasped it without hesitation. But her free moments were becoming rarer and more difficult to find.

After exiting the bath, Chiharu began to dry herself off. She gazed at the mirror, wondering how Sakura could remain so innocent and carefree after all the girl had been through. She certainly didn't feel innocent, with the image of a young woman staring back at her.

Then again, Sakura barely remembered her own mother, let alone the woman's death, while Chiharu's father was wasting away into nothing from cancer. Sakura was merely Li's girlfriend... not his... wife.

Chiharu rested her forehead against the mirror. Her father had weeks to live now, months at worst. She hated thinking like that, but the once strong man was dying by centimeters. His existence was now one of pain. Which was why she was rarely at her family's home. Despite the fact the house belonged to her, it was easier for her to be here, at the Yamazaki household with Takashi, her husband. Here she didn't feel so helpless watching someone she loved die. She felt more like an orphan whose parents hadn't died yet.

In a way it was kind of funny that her classroom nickname of 'Yamazaki-chan' wasn't truly a nickname. She had legally become Yamazaki Chiharu a year ago, which the school was more than eager to agree to keep it a secret. Concerns with the family inheritance because of her father's illness had pushed her mother to arrange her wedding to her longtime love. She had only just turned thirteen when her engagement was announced and she had noticed that while she had been regarded as Takashi's girlfriend since kindergarten, she had started to develop romantic interest in other boys. She had wondered if he was too much like a brother to be her lover. But her choice in the matter was taken from her. While she had learned to be his wife, there were times she felt rather odd. That her marriage was more duty than love. Yet, there wasn't much choice if her future was to be secured after the death of her family.

The teenage girl fought the urge to cry. While it was her father that was dying, she feared for her mother as well. With her dowry transferred to Takashi's name through her legal marriage and her elder sister's college fund safely secured, there wasn't much left of her birth family's estate. She was worried that once her father died, her mother would quickly join him through her own hands.

"Not that I mind the scenery, but you should hurry up and get ready," her teenage husband joked.

"Not funny, Takashi." Chiharu pitched her damp towel at him, before she finally started to get dressed. "Any problems with delivering papers?"

"Nope." Takashi pulled the towel from his face and tossed it into the dirty clothes hamper. "I'll get our school bags together. Meet you for breakfast."

Chiharu smiled as he left. "Thank you, Dear."

* * *

Syaoran awoke with a start to the sound of rather loud clanging. He blearily looked over. It took him a moment to register that his vision wasn't blurry, but that he had the bottom of a soup ladle shoved in front of his face.

"Don't you dare go back to sleep again, Syaoran," Meiling growled. "You were supposed to be up a half-hour ago."

"Couldn't sleep well," Syaoran retorted groggily.

"Not my fault you stayed up watching those perverted Japanese shows," Meiling shot back.

"Wasn't tired then." The boy scratched himself.

Meiling hit him with the frying pan she had held in her other hand. "Don't do THAT in front of ME! And just because there's no one telling you when you should go to bed doesn't mean you can just stay up!"

"I know." Syaoran finally pulled free of the bed, clad in a loose muscle T-shirt and boxers that were almost falling off.

"Don't forget part of the reason we're here is to prove we can handle living by ourselves. You don't have Wei to help you out this time." Meiling's mood darkened. While the boy may think of her as a sister, she wouldn't mind the implied incest. They were distant enough cousins that their family relations didn't matter. And seeing her first love in a state of being less-than-fully-clothed plunged her mind down to the level of perversions she had only seen on the local late-night television.

"Yes, yes," Syaoran groused, finally at least somewhat awake.

"Now you better hurry up," Meiling ordered. "I doubt you want to be standing in the hallway for being late when you can sit near Sakura again."

Meiling clenched the cooking implements tightly as Syaoran bolted out of the room inspired with that last bit of motivation. She then sighed. She guessed this was what it would me like to be his wife, without the perks. To know what he was like completely unguarded and relaxed. Something that Kinomoto had yet to experience.

* * *

Naoko hummed to herself as she prepared a bowl of cereal for herself. She was unmindful of the milk as it splashed her while she poured it. It was why she only wore her underclothes. She was a first-class klutz, and had long given up trying to not make a mess. It wasn't like anyone would see her like this. Both her parents were office workers that went to their jobs before she woke up and usually didn't get home until after she went to bed. The only time she got to see her parents was on Sunday, after they had slept in half-the-day.

The bespectacled girl had been living more-or-less by herself since her grandmother died when she was little. She did the best she could to not use much of the house to limit the amount of chores she had to do. If she didn't dirty it, she didn't have to clean it. That left a lot of time for the girl to be alone doing nothing, which reading books had filled before.

Naoko smirked, thinking about her one major secret. It was kind of like Rika's secret boyfriend, being one that would be dangerous to talk about openly. Though her secret didn't include possible jail time for anyone, just the potential to get her expelled from school.

Like most grade schools in Japan, in order to have a job she would need a worker's permit. Unfortunately, the academies in Tomoeda only gave permits to senior high school students and children working for their family's business. However, she was neither, and yet she had a little job with no permission from the school to have it. The job was just too good for her to pass it up.

After wiping up spilled cereal and milk, Naoko allowed herself to bring a magazine to her table. She opened it carefully to the latest installment of the increasingly popular 'Bloody Sword Detective' by Konagi Noa. It was a tale about a detective in a fantasy world who dealt with crimes of magic. Her eyes scanned every line making sure no errors had appeared. After all, Noa was her penname and she had written this story.

Naoko smirked a little as the chapter had a startling discovery not unlike her own surprise of learning that one of her friends was an uberly powerful magical girl. While she had been nervous around Sakura yesterday, it had more to do with what the girl would do, not what she could do. She was more concerned of getting her mind wiped than Tomoeda getting nuked off the map. And she could tell Sakura had been tempted to remove the memories of magic. Thankfully her mind was still intact and she couldn't wait to talk to Sakura and her boyfriend about magic. It would be great having actual knowledge of magic to add realism to her story.

* * *

The young gym teacher at Tomoeda Elementary whistled a cheerful tune as he entered the wooded section of the local park. He soon came upon a secluded grove where a young teen sat, lost in thought. He approached her, calling out her name, but got no response. Only when he waved his hand in front of her face did he get a reaction.

Rika blinked and then blushed. "Oh, sorry, Yoshiyuki. I was lost in thought."

"I could tell." Terada then smirked. "It's not very appropriate for a student to call me by my personal name."

"And what's so 'appropriate' about our relationship?" Rika leaned forward, her lips landing on to his. The contact was all too brief but still reassuring to the young girl as she was the one to decide the duration. She sighed as she pulled away. "I can't wait until we can end our secret."

Terada nodded and lost himself in thoughts he would rather not dwell on, so he changed topics. "What was it that you were thinking about before I got here?"

Rika frowned. "I found out a secret that's been kept from me for years."

Terada raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Rika paused trying to think of what to say. "It's kind of like our secret. If it became public, the trouble that would result could end lives."

Terada rubbed his chin. "This concerns Kinomoto Sakura, doesn't it?"

Rika's eyes widened. "You know!"

"I don't know what her problem is, just that she's troubled." Terada sighed. "I can guess it started when she was in fourth grade. She started acting up at odd times. Then there was vandalism which, while there was no proof, evidence suggested she was involved. If I had to guess, Tsukishiro-san took advantage of her crush."

Rika looked at Terada with an odd expression before she broke into a fit of laughter. "I guess that is how a teacher would look at it. Though Tsukishiro-san could NEVER hurt Sakura-chan. And he especially wouldn't do it THAT way. He's the lover of Sakura-chan's brother."

Terada blinked at the girl's reaction and then laughed. "So THAT's why those two never had girlfriends in senior high." He then frowned for more reasons than his next question. "But why did Kinomoto act up then?"

Rika frowned. The truth was something that needed to be kept secret by as few people as possible. But this was her fiance and she didn't want to keep secrets from him. Besides, if he talked, Tomoyo could easily get revenge by giving the police proof of her relationship with the teacher. That would send Yoshiyuki to jail for the rest of his life for 'sexually abusing' her. She closed her eyes. "Sakura-chan is a witch. Those 'acts of vandalism' was her magical training, which she had no control over when and where they had happened."

Terada blankly looked at the girl. "Rika... that sounds completely unbelievable."

"I know it's hard to believe. But I was at the Moon Gate when it was destroyed. A dragon, Yoshiyuki, a DRAGON burned it with its breath. Then I spent all weekend at Tomoyo-chan's house watching videos of Sakura-chan learning her magic." The girl hugged herself. "There were times I was right in the middle of it. I nearly killed Sakura-chan when one of her spell cards possessed me. Later I nearly drown when Hiragizawa-kun flooded the water park. All that magic happened around me and I had been clueless."

Terada hugged his ex-student. "It's okay, Rika. If you say it's true, I believe you." He then frowned as his watch chimed. "I have to hurry to school."

Rika nodded. "I'll see you later. And thank you." She watched him run off. She would wait a little longer before taking a different path to the junior high school.

* * *

Syaoran tapped his pencil on the desk as English class began. He wondered what his homeroom teacher's problem was. From the moment he stepped into the classroom to be introduced, he felt like he was some lab specimen under the microscope. If it wasn't for the fact Sakura was also closely observed, he would've questioned if the guy was prejudiced. At least now he had a different teacher to deal with.

"Ah, Li Syaoran," the blond-haired American-born teacher called out, getting the name from the new class list. "Translate 'kirei wa kirei.'"

The Chinese boy blinked. "Um, 'beautiful is beautiful...?' That's not right, is it?"

A few of his classmates giggled.

"A good observation. If a translation doesn't sound like it makes sense, chances are it's not correct," the teacher advised. "For example, the phrase I asked you to translate relies on the two standard meanings for 'kirei.' One, as you said, is beautiful. What is the other meaning?" the teacher pressed.

Syaoran scratched his head nervously. "I don't know, sir."

"Okay, how about you, Li Meiling? Can you translate it correctly?" the teacher asked.

Meiling stood up proud and proper. "Beautiful is clean."

"Very good, Li Meiling. That is technically correct. 'Clean is beautiful,' would be more accurate, but getting into why would be for much higher levels of English understanding." The teacher began to pace around the front of the room, always looking at his students as he moved. "There's a reason why I asked our transfer students to translate that phrase. They are both already fluent in Cantonese and Japanese, meaning they have the basic understandings of what works and doesn't work in translating from one language into another. And the first rule of fluent understanding is 'if the translation doesn't make sense, it's probably incorrect.' Though there will be times with English that the correct translation won't make sense, but more than ninety percent of the time it will. The exceptions you won't have to deal with, for the most part, until you're in senior high or college."

Syaoran sighed as the teacher continued the animated discussion over the process of bridging understandings of two languages. Something he suspected was over the head of a few of his classmates. The American was no longer saying anything he didn't already know. Which left his mind wandering, wishing that Meiling's term earlier that morning of 'near Sakura' wasn't nearly as subjective. His seat was two rows over and one seat up from his girlfriend. While she could see him out of the corner of her eye, he would likely get in trouble if he tried to look at her. In fact, with Daidouji, Meiling, and Yamazaki's girlfriend all seated behind him in the back of the classroom- he felt rather disconcerted. He knew from his sisters there was nothing worse than having girls upset at you, and having a firing squad at his back would be no picnic if he ever got into an argument with Sakura for whatever reason. Not that he expected to ever get into one. Experience from dealing with the backwash from his sisters' love lives taught him to count on it to happen at some point, usually for the stupidest reasons imaginable.

* * *

The classroom eagerly anticipated the ringing of the bell, calling the end to another boring class and the start of lunch. The class quickly thinned out as many students followed the teacher out of the room to either eat outside or with friends in other classrooms.

While Sakura hadn't decided on any personal plans for lunch with her friends, there was little doubt in anyone's mind that she wanted to monopolize Syaoran's time much as Meiling had during elementary school.

"Did you get that DVD?" a boy questioned.

"Sure did," was the reply from another boy who looked ready to drool. "She's beyond cute! And that transformation scene to magic girl left VERY little to the imagination."

"Did you know the first recorded appearance of a magical girl was in ancient Egypt?" Takashi piped in, interrupting his two classmates. Before they could do more than nod, he continued, "From there, magical girls spread throughout the world. In Europe they became known as witches. While most performed acts of good, there were a few powerful ones who committed serious acts of evil that cast all witches into a bad light."

Chiharu began to glare at her secret husband, while the others listened in on the boy's tale.

"The fear those evil witches generated spread throughout Europe. The people, or should I say men, got so afraid of being victims of witchcraft, they started putting any girl to death they believed to have cast any spell. The hysteria was so bad that entire towns killed every single woman from elderly to infant." Takashi grinned at his audience.

Sakura began to shake, clutching onto Syaoran.

Chiharu noticed her friend's reaction. "Sakura-chan, how can you STILL believe his wild lies?"

Meiling looked over. "Actually, everything he said IS true. The persecution of witchcraft in medieval Europe WAS that bad."

Syaoran was starting to lose all feeling in his left hand as Sakura's death grip on his arm tightened.

Chiharu blinked. "It's TRUE? But why would he..." The girl's glare took an unhealthy gaze.

Takashi continued on, "...with the genocide of witchcraft. Magic users had to go underground to pract-URK!"

Chiharu pulled her husband out of the room by his collar and dragged him down the hall. An occurrence that had happened frequently enough that not even teachers made comment. She tossed the boy into the cleaning supply room and slammed the door behind her. Students steered clear of the room for want of avoiding the irate 'typhoon Yamazaki-chan' as another lovers' spat exploded.

Before her husband could say a word, Chiharu snarled out, "You know, don't you? That's why you went into that awful story. In front of Sakura-chan, no less! How can you be so mean to her?"

Takashi looked at his wife with a blank expression.

"You scared the piss out of her, Takashi! She's now afraid that she's going to be lynched, all because of your damned true story." Chiharu rubbed her temples, sensing a serious headache coming on. "Gah! How many other of your wild stories were actually true?"

Takashi blinked slowly. "What do you mean it's true? I got the story from Hiragizawa-kun. Why would it upset Kinomoto?"

Chiharu stared blankly at the boy. "You... you didn't know? But I thought... oh..."

"Stuck you foot in it, didn't you?" Meiling commented at the now open door. "Figures Hiragizawa would play that kind of joke."

"Care to clue me in?" Takashi questioned.

Chiharu fidgeted. She didn't want to break Sakura's confidence, but she didn't want to lie to her husband, either.

"May as well tell him." Meiling shrugged. "Doubt you'd want to keep this a secret from him. Besides, if he did blab it, who would believe HIM?"

Takashi faked a pout as if he was insulted, but knew very well that his reputation as the boy-who-cried-wolf was well deserved.

Chiharu sighed. "Hiragizawa is a warlock, a magic-user. That story you said is true. And Sakura-chan was freaked out by it because she is a witch."

"This isn't some kind of joke you're playing on me, right?" Takashi asked.

"Why would I play a prank like this? How would we know what story you were going to pull out of your ass?" Meiling countered.

"Kinomoto is really a witch?" Takashi asked.

Meiling nodded. "Probably the strongest one on the planet. But don't let Syaoran hear that. He hopes to catch up to her someday."

Takashi stood there, letting what he had been told sink in. His shoulders began to shake before he literally fell down laughing. "Hiragizawa outdid me again! I wonder how many of the stories he sent me are true! To tell the truth and yet not be believed!"

Chiharu glared as he started rolling on the dirty and soap-skuzzy floor in his laughing fit. "I'm not washing your uniform."

Meiling glanced over. "And how much of 'Yamazaki-chan' is a nickname?"

Chiharu merely folded her arms and said nothing.

* * *

Fujitaka tried to keep a positive outlook on all things. Even on the simplest of chores, like doing the laundry. Though there were things that tested him. Coming home to find out his daughter had nearly been disemboweled by a dragon had certainly tested his resolve. He really wished she could've had a normal life. As much as he would like to protect her, how could he protect her from herself? Taking away her means of doing magic would only open her to those who would do her harm, like the person responsible for the dragon attack.

There was perhaps one thing that unnerved him more. His little girl was growing up. The fairly decent sized bra he pulled from the hamper was evidence enough for that. That Sakura already had a seriously boyfriend would be unnerving enough if his son's assessment of the relationship was that he would be a grandfather sooner rather than later. And when Touya made a prediction, he was usually correct.

Fujitaka was starting to understand Nadeshiko's grandfather's desire of protection. Everything possible had been done to deter Nadeshiko from marrying him. She went against her family's wish and married him at the tender age of sixteen, causing her to be all but disowned. The house and trust funds for Touya and Sakura were all they got from her family. Considering that Nadeshiko had previously been the heiress that was to inherit the multi-trillion yen corporation that her cousin, Sonomi, now controlled, the loss of family status was immense. Yet, neither Nadeshiko nor himself had cared for her grandfather's business, but the love they had shared. He had no regrets in marrying Nadeshiko when she was young, especially as her life had proven to be so short. And she professed to hold no regrets even though she had been expelled from senior high school for getting pregnant, despite her existing marriage.

It was because of the pain Nadeshiko felt at her grandfather's disapproval that Fujitaka had vowed to not interfere with his children's love lives. And his children were certainly testing that vow. Sakura was setting herself up for the possibility of being expelled from junior high for getting pregnant. While Touya had lost his virginity in junior high to his then math teacher, Mizuki Kaho, and was now in a loving homosexual relationship with a guy who wasn't even human. While he could cry statutory rape against Mizuki, he would be damn near a hypocrite. Sure he had married Nadeshiko first, but their courtship, itself, was an inappropriate teacher-student relationship.

"I'm home!" Sakura called out.

Fujitaka had finished filling the washer and turned it on before going to greet his daughter. "Welcome home. How was school today?"

"Great!" Sakura smiled. "Got to see Syaoran-kun and talked to my friends." She then pouted. "Chiharu-chan kind of blew my secret to Yamazaki-kun, but we don't think that's too much of a problem. He likes to tell tall tales all the time, so no one is likely to believe him if he did tell anyone."

"That's nice... I guess," Fujitaka replied a little uncertainly.

"Sakura!" Kero-chan cried out, having overheard his mistress. "You're going to have to be more careful! The more people who know, the more likely people will learn of your powers."

"There isn't much chance anyone else will find out," Sakura protested. "Besides Dad, Touya, my friends and Yamazaki-kun, the only other people who know of my powers are members of Syaoran's family, you and Yukito-san."

"Be sure to keep it that way." Kero-chan nodded curtly. "If there's one thing I learned from watching television, is that people are scared of things they don't understand or is more powerful than them."

Sakura pouted. "Don't remind me. Yamazaki-kun found out after Chiharu-chan thought he was clueing us in that he knew about me. He had told a true story about witch hunts going so out of control in medieval Europe that entire towns put all the females in them to death."

"Now, Sakura, I wouldn't be concerned about that in this day and age," Fujitaka told her in an assuring tone. "I like to think people have moved beyond such things." The college professor couldn't help but think of the worse case scenarios that could happen. His family being run out of Tomoeda by fearful neighbors, or the government learning of Sakura's powers and abducting her to put her through inhuman tests to learn her secrets were very real possibilities. But killing Sakura, all her friends and family, along with any other girl in Tomoeda wasn't likely to happen.

"Um, Dad...?" Sakura fidgeted nervously.

"Yes, Sakura?" Fujitaka questioned.

"Would it be all right if I go over to visit Syaoran-kun and Meiling-chan?" Sakura asked. "They haven't completely finished unpacking yet, and I wanted to help them. I'd probably eat dinner there, too."

Fujitaka smiled softly. "Of course you can go, Sakura. Have fun." That certainly made dinner easier. Though he may as well make some for the little card guardian as well so he wouldn't eat alone.

"Thanks, Dad." Sakura bolted off to her room to get changed out of her school uniform before heading off to her boyfriend's new apartment.

Fujitaka sighed. Sakura still seemed so innocent, yet he had to question how much remained.

* * *

Yoshiyuki sighed as he sat upon a park bench. He was still unsure what to make of Rika's story of Kinomoto being a witch. It sounded completely unbelievable. He wondered if her story was a lie. Something she had come up with in an attempt to push him away. Considering his relationship with the girl, the attempt to sever ties with him would indicate their relationship had gone too far for her.

The teacher had never been fully comfortable about his feelings for the young student. He had almost become obsessed with going over anything he could find on the effects of sexual abuse. Rika had previously shown zero evidence. A student that was being abused would become increasingly absent from school and try to avoid her abuser, yet Rika's school attendance was near perfect and she went out of her way to spend time with him. If he started a student group, she would become a member without him ever asking her to join. Someone who suffered from sexual abuse would become withdrawn and remove themselves from friendships, while Rika was still actively part of her friends' activities.

Yoshiyuki wished he could say that Rika not showing signs of being abused was because he had never done anything sexual with her, but that would be a lie. She was a vaginal virgin, but was rather experienced in other ways of sex. However, it had always been Rika who initiated anything. He had tried to hold off on doing anything sexual with her, but had so far only been able to keep her from going all the way with him. He didn't want to hurt the girl by going too far, even though she assured him she was ready. It certainly didn't help his conscience that if the police were to ever find out about his relationship to Rika and the number of times he had done stuff with her, he could spend the rest of his life in jail for multiple counts of sexual abuse.

The teacher wished he had someone to talk to. The only other person who knew of his relationship with Rika had been Mizuki Kaho. Though he still couldn't figure out how she knew it. It had helped him to know that Mizuki had been involved with a student herself. A student she claimed fully consented and loved her at the time. Yoshiyuki, being one of the newer teachers at Tomoeda Elementary Academy, hadn't taught the woman's student lover, Kinomoto Touya, as the boy had already moved on to junior high before his teaching career had begun. As such, he didn't know the boy well enough to trust her assurance of her past relationship.

Thinking of the devil, Yoshiyuki watched as Touya walked past with Yukito, whom Rika had said that those two were lovers. The angry demeanor and the apparent switch of sexual preference made the teacher wonder just how willing the Kinomoto boy had been with Mizuki. If only he could ask the questions that were on his mind. After the pair disappeared down the curved park path, Yoshiyuki thoughts returned to his dilemma.

"You wanted to ask something?"

Yoshiyuki jumped. Surprise was etched into his face as he now stared at Touya sitting next to him on the backrest of the bench.

Touya glared. "I know you want to ask me something. If you were thinking any harder about it, I'd have heard it."

"How?" was all the teacher could think to ask.

Touya relaxed a little and sighed. "I assume by now Sasaki has told you about Sakura. She's not the only one in my family."

"You mean about Kinomoto-chan being a witch?" Yoshiyuki questioned uncertainly.

Touya nodded curtly. "Yes. I may not know any spells, but I'm able see things other people can't. Remember when you first saw me?"

Yoshiyuki paused in thought. "I think it was shortly after I started teaching at Tomoeda. I only remember because you looked at me with such... well, hatred. It was disturbing."

"Remember who you were helping in your gym class at the time?" Touya pressed.

Yoshiyuki shook his head. "I can't recall."

"You were helping Sasaki," Touya answered bluntly. "I didn't like what I was seeing then. I KNEW that the two of you would become too close. I was afraid Sakura would also get your 'attention.'"

Yoshiyuki blinked. "Rika would only have been in second grade. It wasn't until the end of third grade that she started to crush on me. Fourth grade when..."

"The line was crossed," Touya finished. "I'm not saying I approve, but I can see how deep your relationship with Sasaki is. In a year you'll have a very hard time of things."

"How do you know all this?" Yoshiyuki questioned.

"As I said, I see things other people can't," Touya repeated. "What I see between you and Sasaki is a bond of love. And while I can't predict the future, I can make educated guesses. My mother was practically disowned when she married her teacher, and was later expelled from high school because she was going to give birth to me. I doubt you're going to have it any easier than my parents did."

"How did you develop this... sight?" Yoshiyuki questioned.

Touya shrugged. "I was born with it. I could see ghosts and spirits all the time. I had a really hard time accepting my mother was dead, until she explained to me so was no longer alive."

"Does it ever bother you that you see things like that?" Yoshiyuki questioned with the tenderness of a caring teacher.

"At times. Mostly when I see things I don't want to. Like when I first met Li Syaoran and just KNEW that he would marry my sister." Touya shook his head. "I had a taste of what it was like to be without my sight. It was like losing a limb. I couldn't do everything I could before. Now Sakura feeds me some of her magical power so I have my second sight back."

Yoshiyuki paused in thought.

"I better get going before Yuki decides to make too much food. He still forgets he doesn't need to eat as much anymore," Touya told himself more than the teacher. "If you really want to talk to someone about your relationship with Sasaki, my Dad certainly knows what you're going through." He got up and hopped off the bench.

"Oh, Kinomoto-kun, just one more question? Do you regret what happened between you and Mizuki-san?" Yoshiyuki questioned.

Touya looked up to the sky. "Nah. She could've done better when she broke up with me, but we did love each other. Besides, it helped me be a better partner for Yuki. We don't nearly have as much trouble as I did with her. And she didn't 'turn me gay.' I love Yuki for who he is. It doesn't matter to me he's a guy or even that he's not human. He's simply my Yuki."

"Okay...," Yoshiyuki trailed off, confusion still thick in his words. "Thank you, Kinomoto-kun. I appreciate the talk."

"No prob." Touya waved as he began to walk away. "Just try to help cover for Sakura if trouble occurs. Some magic-user is out to get her, and she needs all the help she can get."

Yoshiyuki nodded. "I'll try." The teacher then shook his head, not quite believing all that he had been told. At least now he could accept that what Rika had told him earlier was what she believed was true. It was now a question of whether or not they were being deceived.

* * *

Tomoyo's head rested on her arms as she slept sitting at her video-editing desk. The noise of digital footage being played on continuous loop on the monitor next to her did not disturb her slumber at all.

Sonomi crept quietly into the room, smiling softly at her daughter. She then stared at what was on the screen. A dragon was sinking its claws into Sakura's side. "Oh, my..." She quickly turned the monitor off, not wanting to see any more.

Sonomi decided to work on the task at hand, getting her daughter to bed. She eased the young girl to sit back in the chair and proceeded to wheel it and its occupant down to Tomoyo's bedroom. With the aid of a few maids that were waiting for them, the young girl was carefully placed into her bed.

The helpers quickly left and Sonomi tenderly brushed Tomoyo's hair out of her face. "Goodnight, beloved daughter." Slowly she walked out of the room.

Tomoyo's skills with a camera were certainly on par with professionals. Tonight had not been the first time Sonomi had found her daughter asleep in her editing room. The footage the mother had seen previously were of flights of fancy and magic. This was the only time she saw someone get seriously hurt in them.

Sonomi took a step towards her own bedroom, but then turned around and went straight to Tomoyo's editing room.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Well, this came out quicker than expected. When I finished chapter one I wasn't sure what I was going to do with chapter two. But then the muse smacked me with the suggestion of laying down the foundation of some of the plot lines that don't affect Sakura directly. Whether it's the continuation of the canon relationship of Rika-chan and Terada-sensei or giving Naoko-chan a plot line of her to deal with.

I have received questions on whether or not Eriol will make an appearance in this series. I may have him visit later in the series for a couple chapters, but for now he's happily in England being a willing 'victim' of statutory rape there with Mizuki-sensei. He is not behind or connected to the threat Sakura faces in any way, shape or form. If you had hopes for Eriol/Tomoyo pairing, definitely not going to happen when neither of them were truly interested in the other in any way beyond friendship, and both were solidly shown to have different love interests.

The comment of Terada 'crossing the line' is not referring to sexual activity, but the teacher returning Rika-chan's feelings and beginning a relationship.

To clarify something in regards to age of consent in Japan. Even when the nation's age of consent was 'anyone who wasn't a child,' or to put it more bluntly 'if there's grass on the field, play ball,' people in positions of authority could still face sexual abuse and statutory rape charges for relations with someone under the age of eighteen. Today the age of consent is set at thirteen with conditions that makes it more sixteen to eighteen. Marriage can override the age of consent, but a girl has to be sixteen to get legally married without consent of her parents. At a younger age, marriage is possible with approval of parents.

Next in Chapter 3: Sakura and Emerging Rivals Competition is in the air. Whether it's a rival in love, obsessiveness, or physical ability, no one wants to lose- especially not Sakura's lurking foe.


	3. Sakura and Emerging Rivals

Syaoran glanced over the daily horoscope in the morning paper and scoffed slightly. It gave an overly general warning about letting emotions run unchecked. Such comments were good for everyday life, and not something to personally go by. Particularly as that was a general reading for large groups of people. The one thing that was missed in doing general horoscopes was that the positions of the planets, moon and stars at the time of birth also played a factor. It determined which celestial bodies would strongly or weakly effect your daily life. For him the Sun had a lesser effect, Mars was fairly strong, while the Moon and a certain star ruled over everything.

That the star was in his horoscope had always confused Syaoran and others. It wasn't until Sakura had her horoscope read during her second visit to Hong Kong well over a year ago that he learned why. That same star dominated her life to an unbelievable degree, especially considering the prominence of Sun and Moon should have them as her ruling aspects. The star was obviously Sakura's magical link, whose mystical image now rests on the back of Sakura's cards. And with the star so strongly featured in his own horoscope, it made him wonder how much cosmic choice he had in being Sakura's boyfriend.

After a few weeks of nagging on Meiling's part, Syaoran now set his bedtime at a reasonable hour and got up in time to do his own horoscope readings that were much more attuned to him.

Syaoran moved to an open area in the living room and sat in the corner. He then began chanting and the floor began glowing with different colors, making it look like an enlarged version of his lazen board. He then frowned at the illusionary appearance of the planets, moon and stars that appeared in the air, trying to decipher their meaning.

Sakura's star was in a position that showed a prolonged challenge, which was why he was in Tomoeda. However, Mars took a strong aspect and while Venus wasn't a major symbol for him, that it was in retrograde made the hot-blooded nature of Mars even stronger. The Moon had also taken an interesting position.

"So what's today's verdict?" Meiling questioned, peering over the back of the couch.

"Rash anger will lead to greater troubles," Syaoran replied. While the paper had been right about emotions, he at least knew which one to watch out for.

Meiling hopped over the couch and sat in the middle of the open space. "Do mine."

Syaoran shrugged and chanted once more, despite the fact that he already didn't like the prospects. Mars and Venus were the dominant planets for her. He then sighed after he figured out her reading. "You shall pick up an unwanted admirer."

Meiling raised an eyebrow. "Unwanted? I'm getting to the point I might date just about anyone."

"You may change your mind on that before the day is done," Syaoran warned.

* * *

**Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 3: Sakura and Emerging Rivals**

**_By: Lord Archive_**

Author's Warnings:

In accordance to movie rating system this series would be rated PG-13, and as for television would rate TV M for mature audience, but would be viewable with no edits save for some incidents of vulgar language. Due to subjective nature of the ratings, for FFnet this series has been labeled with R rating for those who have poor views of some of the subject matter contained within.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Tomoyo frowned at the clock. "It's almost time for class."

Meiling folded her arms. "If Kinomoto's late again, it's her own stupid fault."

"But Fukino-sensei said he'd give her detention for a week if she's not on time," Tomoyo fretted.

"She won't be able to join the cheerleader team that way, let alone make captain," Chiharu added.

Syaoran only half paid attention. He was looking outside, straining his senses to feel Sakura's approach, but she didn't appear to be anywhere near the school. He blinked as he finally felt her presence but it wasn't from the school gate, but in the air. "Ah, geez...," he groaned seeing a rather large white dove flying straight for his classroom.

"Something up?" Takashi questioned, seeing Syaoran open the window.

"Sakura," was Syaoran's simple reply.

Tomoyo moved next to him and looked down. "Where?" She then stared at where the Chinese boy pointed. "I didn't know peacocks could fly."

Syaoran fought the urge to collapse in shock.

Takeshi rubbed his chin. "Looks like a sparrowhawk to me."

"Nightingale," Meiling said simply.

"Pigeon," Chiharu added.

"Mallard duck," Rika commented.

Naoko blinked repeatedly. "Roc."

Chiharu looked at her strangely. "A flying rock?"

"Not a rock, a roc. A giant predatory bird that can pick up and eat elephants," Naoko corrected. It was rather frightening and yet exciting at the same time to see an enormous dark brown bird with over thirty meter wingspan flying straight at her.

"Did you know in South America, skeletons of giant birds have been found that were large enough to prey on large horses?" Takashi asked with a grin. "While those were believed extinct many millenium ago, some researchers wonder if cousins of those birds did exist a few thousand years ago in Europe to give rise to the myths of the Roc."

"True or false?" Chiharu groused.

"True," Meiling answered.

Naoko blinked in surprise, not expecting it to be true. Chiharu scowled darkly, knowing her husband had been using more true stories lately than his usual made-up wild tales.

Syaoran frowned. "Unless you want a headache in a moment, Yanagisawa, I suggest you close your eyes and think of a MUCH smaller bird, like a dove."

Naoko did as instructed and saw a turtledove finish the approach to the school. The bird land briefly at the open window before hopping inside.

Sakura was rather unnerved to do this so publicly, but her tardiness left little option. At least her friends knew of her magic and had swarmed around the window, obstructing the view of the rest of the class.

Naoko's eyes seemed to sparkle in wonder while Takashi and the others watched in rapt attention as the image of the bird faded away to reveal Sakura with angelic wings. Then the white feathers also disappeared, leaving the normal looking schoolgirl holding two cards.

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "Made it."

Syaoran shook his head. "Sakura, you really shouldn't use your magic like that."

Before any further comment could be made, the bell rang and Fukino entered the classroom. One girl stared at Sakura for a moment, wondering how the girl entered the classroom as she had watched the door, secretly hoping that she would be late.

* * *

"Lunch time! Lunch time!" Sakura chirped as she pranced her way down the hall. She actually had gotten up early that morning, but was late because it was her turn to cook. She had spent extra time preparing lunch as she made an extra bento for Syaoran.

A faint smile appeared on Syaoran's face as he watched her skipping, lost in her own delightful world. He then flinched as he saw a rather tall and muscular boy come around the corner of the hall and right in front of Sakura. It was too late to call out in warning as the two collided.

"Hey!" the large boy cried out. He was knocked back a few steps and his box lunch fell from his hand, spilling its contents onto the floor.

Sakura emitted a squeak of pain as she landed on her ass, the pair of box lunches she had held bounced on the floor but stayed sealed thanks to its cloth wrapping.

"You stupid little cunt!" the boy growled, upset at his loss of food. He reared his clenched hand back and rocketed it forward. The prone girl squeezed her eyes shut in expectant pain from contact, but the boy's fist never made it.

Despite the boy being larger and looking stronger, Syaoran stopped the punch cold with his bare hand. The smaller Chinese boy wasn't done with just blocking the attack, he twisted the guy's arm sending him off balance and crashing headfirst into the wall.

The large boy howled in rage and lunged at Syaoran, but the only contact made was the smaller boy's lightning fast strikes against him. Pain flared through his body as he collapsed to the floor.

Syaoran almost acted on instinct as he felt a hand grasp his arm, but held himself in check as he realized that was a teacher who was restraining him.

"It's only Monday and you've already gotten in trouble twice, Satome," the teacher intoned at the fallen boy, and then glared at the boy in his grasp. "And you've only been here for a few weeks and already gotten into a fight. You better not make a habit of this, Li. You both got bathroom duty for the next week."

"Yes, sir," Syaoran acceded in a neutral tone. He guessed this was what his horoscope had tried to warn him about. He could really do without the bathroom duty, but he had acted out of anger and deserved this trouble for it.

"He started it!" Satome protested.

The teacher glanced down at Sakura, who was still sitting prone on the ground. "Somehow I doubt that. Besides, who started it means nothing, only who was fighting."

"No sense fighting it, bud," a guy only slightly taller than Syaoran commented as he helped Satome stand up.

Another boy grinned as he stared at the girls that had been with the Chinese boy and the klutz. He whispered, "We'll get 'payment' later."

Satome grunted as he nodded. He then swiped the lunch from his grinning friend and stomped off, quickly followed by the two other guys. The smiling boy did not raise protest at his stolen lunch, lost to his own perverted world.

Sakura blinked at how fast everything had happened and how quickly Syaoran had moved to her defense. It was a sweet gesture, but the ferociousness of his attacks was upsetting. She leapt to her feet and advanced on her boyfriend. "How can you loose control of yourself like that? You could've really hurt him!"

Syaoran flinched at her words. "Sorry..." Bathroom duty now seemed to only to be the tip of the iceberg of his trouble.

Sakura huffed and grabbed her fallen bento lunches and stomped off.

The teacher shook his head at the Chinese boy. Perhaps he should leave the punishment to his girlfriend. He then smiled at Sakura's friends who were finishing cleaning up Satome's fallen meal from the floor.

* * *

Syaoran's stomach growled as he sat to the side of Sakura and her friends as they ate lunch. Now he knew why Meiling had only prepared one lunch. Unfortunately, his defense of his girlfriend had only served to upset her and now he was out of a lunch.

Meiling was tempted to share her meal with Syaoran, but decided it would be best not to. He had gone a little overboard in fighting that thug. Besides, it wouldn't do to have Sakura upset at her as well for condoning such behavior. She didn't want to add any more confusion to her own relationship with Syaoran as well.

Yamazaki gave a sympathetic smile. "I'd help, but I don't want to be in the doghouse either."

Chiharu let out a short laugh as she pulled out her husband's lunch.

Syaoran nodded. After growing up with his mother and four sisters, he knew very well that the best way to appease a girl was to not go against whatever 'punishment' she decreed. Not only would the person giving him food receive Sakura's anger, but it would work to delay her forgiving him as well.

Meiling tried to distract herself from Syaoran's plight by trying to worm her way into the other girl's conversations. Unfortunately, Daidouji and Kinomoto were being pressed for magical information by Yanagisawa and the 'Yamazaki couple' was best left alone. That left Sasaki, who was oddly glaring across the field.

The Chinese girl followed the gaze and saw Terada-sensei tending to a class of fourth graders on the neighboring elementary school grounds. She then noted there was one particular bouncy girl that was practically hugging the teacher's leg. Even from the distance, she recognized the look of desire in the little girl's eyes. But why would a fourth grader crushing on a teacher upset Sasaki considering she was dating an... older... man.

"And here I was thinking your boyfriend was around twenty, Sasaki," Meiling commented.

Rika flushed bright red. "Wha... What do you mean by THAT?"

"You could be less obvious as to who your boyfriend is," Meiling retorted.

Syaoran started looking around trying to see who Sasaki's mysterious boyfriend was.

"Don't tell anyone," Rika whispered with unusual harshness.

"If he stays faithful to you, no problem. If what you're fearing happens, then I'll nail his ass to the wall for you," Meiling promised.

"It's nothing. She just has a crush. He wouldn't betray me," Rika asserted weakly, as if she didn't believe her own words.

Tomoyo had been listening in. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"I hope so." Rika's glare returned as the girl readjusted her shorts, quite possibly flashing herself at the teacher. He only turned away and blushed.

* * *

The end of classes for the day doesn't mean the end of the school day. For many students, there were cleaning duties and various club activities. They were the quickest to gather their things. For those students who had no place to go, they settled in to chat with friends or play games, much to the chagrin of those who were supposed to clean the classroom.

Syaoran didn't waste any time gathering his stuff and going to deal with his detention. It was better than dealing with the disapproving gazes of the 'firing squad,' Sakura's especially.

"Any particular reason you're upset at your 'shining knight?'" Naoko questioned. "I mean he was defending you."

Sakura pouted. "If Syaoran-kun had just protected me is one thing, but he took it too far."

"That creep was going to hurt you. Going overboard just shows how much he really cares," Naoko insisted.

"Naoko-chan, you don't understand. It's not that Syaoran-kun hurt that boy, it's that he lost control." Sakura sighed. "Syaoran-kun wasn't taught marital arts as a sport. You could go to kenpo classes for years and never learn a move specifically for killing."

Naoko stared in surprise along with Chiharu and Rika who had listened in.

"You're saying Li-kun could kill someone?" Rika questioned in morbid shock.

Meiling let out a short laugh. "Give me two minutes and _I_ would leave every person in this classroom dead. With Syaoran's attention to magic, I've managed to surpass him in martial arts."

Chiharu sweated nervously. "I'd say that's more than I wanted to know. It's bad enough knowing what Sakura-chan could do, and there's little chance she'd ever hurt anyone, let alone worse."

Meiling propped her head on her hands. "Kinomoto, you're just going to have to get used to Syaoran protecting you like that. You mean more to him than everything else in his life."

Sakura shook her head. "I guess he will. But why can't he be more open with his other emotions? He's been back for weeks and we haven't kissed once." The girl then blushed at her admission. She then glanced at the time. "Oh, look! I've got to get to cheerleading practice!" She grabbed her stuff and bolted out of the room.

Tomoyo smiled sadly, but not just at Sakura.

One after the other, the group went to their various activities. Tomoyo departed for choir, Rika to orchestra, the Yamazaki couple to the library to work on homework, and Meiling went off somewhere as well. That left Naoko behind in the classroom. They had all made plans to meet up after their clubs, leaving the bespectacled girl to join the 'go home club.'

Not seeing anything of particular interest, Naoko pulled out a preview copy of the first volume of her novella, 'Bloody Sword Detective,' to check it for errors. As she scanned past the first chapter a shout of surprise interrupted her. She blinked at the boy pointing at the book in her hands.

"How do you have THAT?" Asaba howled, a tad overweight, but otherwise normal-looking boy. "That's not due out 'til next month!"

Naoko smirked. "I know the author."

Asaba growled, "I'm Noa-sama's biggest fan! I love her more than life! I have every chapter she wrote! If anyone should get her first volume, it should be me!"

Naoko had to fight the urge to laugh. That boy just professed his love for HER and didn't even know it. With amusement thick in her voice, she commented, "Oh, you should see some of the stuff she wrote before. That was absolute garbage!"

"You are undeserving of seeing Noa-sama's work! All she writes is gold!" Asaba insisted.

Naoko shook her head.

"Hey, 'Wolfy,' stop annoying Yanagisawa and get back to the game," Tsuda called out, a tall and lanky boy.

"Don't call me that! I'm 'Black Wolf!'" Asaba announced.

Naoko failed to completely stifle her laughter at the boy, considering 'Black Wolf' was the name placed on a vicious, but unknown, magic-using criminal in her story. She laughed more when he glared at her. Her interest peeked, she listened in as Asaba and his friends began playing some role-playing game. She began watching them intently as the game's setting was from her story.

* * *

While the junior high uniforms were much more conservative in design than the ones from Tomoeda Elementary, they still made the girls look cute. However, there was something about a cheerleading outfit that did something to plunge the minds of boys into the gutter.

"If you keep staring at Meiling-chan's ass, I'll rip your eyes out," Chiharu whispered harshly, causing her secret husband to laugh sheepishly.

Syaoran was close enough to hear the girl, but he was too busy staring at a different cute little rear to register her words.

"So you're joining the cheerleading team as well, Meiling-chan?" Tomoyo questioned politely to start the conversation.

Meiling smiled devilishly. "Can't let Kinomoto be better than me in everything. I may just take team captain from her. Besides, boys like cheerleaders."

"Yeah. Too much," Chiharu groused.

Sakura shook her head. She couldn't understand why Meiling-chan would want to be better than her at something when there already were lots of things the girl was better at than she was. But it would be fun working with Meiling-chan outside of magical troubles. Though she was left to wonder why a fellow classmate seemed so upset at practice.

As the group entered into the forested area of the park, they stopped abruptly at the sight before them.

"I guess even Tomoeda has gangs," Meiling commented.

Syaoran scowled seeing that Satome thug he beat up at lunch was leading the pack of boys.

"What do you want?" Sakura questioned.

"Payment," Satome growled out.

Syaoran clenched his fists. "So you want to beat me up?"

"I said 'payment,' not 'revenge,' foreign trash," Satome retorted.

The boy to Satome's left stared at Meiling with a lecherous grin. "Yeah. We'll be taking our 'payment' from the girls. And I just LOVE Chinese."

Meiling scowled. "You're right, Syaoran. He's definitely unwanted."

"I think Li-kun should've hurt him more," Naoko voiced.

"Foreign trash, get lost and take Yamazaki and his 'little wife' with you, and I'll consider things even and not have your ass kicked. I'll be sure train your girl nicely," Satome decreed with an evil grin.

"What are we going to do?" Rika fidgeted nervously.

"Leave this to Li-kun and Meiling-chan," Tomoyo assured her.

Sakura grasped the key charm on her necklace. "Syaoran-kun, do as you must."

The Chinese boy nodded, but Meiling was already ahead of him. The boy who looked lecherously at her was already on the ground dying the dirt red from his bleeding nose. The intimidating appearance of the gang quickly proved to be a false air when faced with talented fighters. Meiling quickly showed she could take all of them by herself, but Satome was left for Syaoran to deal with.

Naoko tried to take in every aspect of the fight, but words failed her in how to describe the graceful yet pain-inflicting dance before her. She would like to say the Chinese pair weren't holding back, but if what she had been told earlier was true, this could've been bloodier and deadly.

Satome tried to land a single blow on the Chinese boy, but only came up with air and pain. Syaoran danced around the large teen, showing with disgusting ease at how much of a mismatch the battle was. In less than a minute Satome could barely stand, his arms and legs nearly useless in mind-numbing haze of pain. "If you ever hurt Sakura, your body will not be found," Syaoran threatened before knocking Satome unconscious.

"You're so beautiful! Marry me!"

Meiling blinked and looked down. The lech was still laying on the ground and was now looking up her skirt. She promptly introduced his face to her right foot, repeatedly.

Naoko grimaced in sympathy. "He's going to need a dentist."

Takashi laughed nervously. "And imagine if it was Kinomoto who had to do the fighting?"

"Let's not think of that," Chiharu returned. "I like having a park."

Sakura blushed. "I'm not THAT strong."

Those comments brought a round of disbelief.

Syaoran took out a set of paper seals and placed each one onto the foreheads of the fallen boys, giving them a suggestion to go home. It would be bad if they watched Sakura while she attempted whatever magical challenge Yanagisawa had prepared to help 'train' her. Though the boy knew it had more to do with Yanagisawa getting to see real magic and Daidouji to tape Sakura in action than actual training. That accomplished, he growled out, "Let's take care of that 'test.'"

Sakura nodded as she proceeded to lead the group deeper into the wooded area, a frown frozen on her face. "Syaoran-kun, you didn't really mean what you said to that boy, did you?"

Li slouched. "Sakura... If anyone ever hurts you the way he threatened... I... I probably would. You mean everything to me."

Sakura huffed. "I'd like you to express your feelings in other ways."

Syaoran blinked. "Ah, what do you mean?"

"I think it should be obvious," Sakura returned.

Confusion did not leave Syaoran's face.

"Naoko-chan," Sakura called out simply, holding out her hand.

"You're forgetting something," Tomoyo interrupted.

Sakura slouched at the large dress box her best friend was holding out, kind of wishing Tomoyo had forgotten.

"I don't get enough opportunities to make these anymore," Tomoyo insisted.

"Keep the boys here," Sakura growled out.

Syaoran pouted wondering why his girlfriend was so upset, suspecting there was more to her sour mood.

It was only a moment before Sakura returned with depended scowl. Pink and lime green in various patterns, puffy shorts and bells, the magical girl looked like a cute, but irate, court jester. She held out her hand toward Naoko once again.

"It won't help you being upset to solve my problem," Naoko informed, handing over a sealed envelope.

Sakura made no reply. "O Key which hides the power of the stars, reveal thy true form before me. I, Sakura, command thee under contract. RELEASE! Make what is written inside this envelope reality, CREATE!"

Immediately a box appeared around Naoko. But that did not concern the magical girl as much as what hovered above it. Crackling with an aura of fire was a demonic beast over four meters tall. With a voice that sounded like the hollow depth of a grave, it growled out, "You have ten minutes to defeat me."

Sakura immediately tossed a card into the air. "Sword!" With a flourish move, she tried to slice apart both demon and box, but neither showed any ill effect. The young teen found herself tackled to the ground by Syaoran as he knocked her out of the way of a fireball launched by the demon.

"Syaoran-kun?" Sakura questioned.

"Something doesn't feel right with this," Syaoran told her.

"This isn't Naoko-chan's test! She's in danger!" Chiharu called out, her ear pressed against the box.

Sakura closed her eyes and willed Create back into a card, but failed. Though it didn't help her to concentrate with Syaoran pulling her out of the way of more attacks.

"Defeat me if you wish your friend to live," the demon intoned cruelly.

Sakura glared at the evil creature. "Freeze!" A giant fish of ice materialized in front of the girl and slammed headfirst into the demon, who merely grunted as his aura only diminished in it's intensity for a few seconds.

"The spiked ceiling is getting lower," Chiharu yelled out. "She doesn't have ten minutes!"

"What?" Sakura cried out.

"Your friend had two minutes when we started. And you'll lose another friend every two minutes after that," the demon informed with laughter.

Tomoyo frowned. Not counting Sakura, there were seven of them. At two minutes apiece, it should take fourteen minutes to trap each one of them, but the demon said ten minutes. Two of them were not in danger. But why would two of them be excluded? Would it just be the girls at risk, or were Li-kun and Meiling-chan the ones that were safe?

"Everyone back off," Sakura ordered. "It's about to get REALLY cold."

The demon chuckled harshly. "No amount of cold could stop me."

Syaoran pushed the others away noticing that Sakura's wand was transforming. It grew longer, the wings tripled in size and were now attached to the base of a multi-faceted star.

Sakura glared through the demon. "I won't let you hurt my friends. Windy! Watery! Storm! Snow! Freeze!"

In what had been a quiet clearing before their arrival was now a raging blizzard. The witnesses standing meters away moved further back as the temperature plunged several degrees Celsius around them. Chilling winds licked at them and they didn't even want to image what it was like for the target of this fierce storm.

As quickly as the ice storm began, it ended. Encased in ice was the demonic form and part of the box. Sakura called forth her sword once more and shattered the ice before her, taking the evil being and one side of the box with it.

Naoko stumbled out, shivering with blue lips.

"Fiery, warm Naoko-chan up! Gently!" Sakura casted.

Meiling folded her arms. "Overkill much?"

"Naoko-chan was in danger! I couldn't let her die," Sakura returned.

"I seriously doubted Yanagisawa was ever in danger," Meiling retorted. "She was a distraction. YOU are the target, remember?"

Sakura pouted. "Who's to say the one after me won't hurt my friends? Naoko-chan and everyone was there at the battle with the dragon, and she could've been hurt or worse there too."

Meiling scowled. "I seriously doubt that."

"Sakura, the envelope with the challenge!" Syaoran called out.

"Return to me, Create!" Sakura intoned. The card returned to her hand, but the envelope that contained the challenge Naoko-chan had given to her exploded into flames.

Syaoran growled. "Damn it. We need proof."

"So, you have a suspect," Tomoyo observed.

"No, we don't," Meiling replied harshly.

"Yanagisawa, the next time you challenge Sakura, make sure it's YOUR challenge," Syaoran ordered.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Naoko replied, rubbing her hands near the slightly irritated looking fiery efreet. "I don't want to die until I finish writing my books."

Fiery began zapping blocks of remaining ice to have something more to do than being someone's personal fire.

With the excitement over, the group slowly disbanded after assurance from Naoko that she would be all right.

Tomoyo walked a fair distance alongside Sakura, who was wearing her school uniform once again and was noticeably 'not talking' to Syaoran. The longhaired girl placed her finger to her chin. "Sakura-chan, I think you understand Li-kun more than you want to admit."

Sakura blinked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Would you act any different if someone hurt Li-kun?" Tomoyo questioned.

Sakura pouted. "I'd be... upset, but I could never kill someone."

"You were certainly intense enough against that demon," Tomoyo returned.

"Yeah, but I knew it wasn't real. I couldn't do that against anything alive," Sakura insisted.

Tomoyo nodded. "But Sakura-chan, can you really blame Li-kun for wanting to protect you? Even if it's THAT intense?"

"Not really." Sakura kicked a small rock. "I know he cares about me. But can't he express it some other way than through magic or beating someone up? I mean, he hasn't kissed me since he came back or asked me on a date or anything."

"AH! You want some _personal_ time with Li-kun," Tomoyo figured.

"Yeah..." Sakura sighed with longing.

"You do realize being upset at him isn't going to help you with that situation," Tomoyo observed.

Sakura huffed.

* * *

Love motels dominated the commercial districts of Japan, allowing for people to meet in privacy. Many of these places were designed so that as long as caution was used at entering, it would be near impossible to tell who was meeting whom. For a young student and a teacher, love motels were the only place that was truly safe for them to meet.

Yoshiyuki entered the rented room and found a young teen waiting for him. The girl was hugging her knees and barely registered his presence. "Something wrong?" he questioned.

Rika gave the young teacher a side-glance. "There was another magical attack today. Naoko-chan's been setting up little challenges for Sakura-chan to train against, only it got replaced by something much worse. Naoko-chan nearly got killed by it."

Yoshiyuki frowned. "I'd like to see some magic sometime soon."

"That's a wish you may just regret getting," Rika returned.

"If you say so." Yoshiyuki sat down on the bed. He soon found the girl's arms wrapped around him as she snaked her way in front of him and kissed him. Hers was a passion that both tantalized and scared him. Pieces of their clothes quickly began to fall to the ground. While her actions were beyond enticing, it was much too fast and far too soon. "Rika-chan, slow down."

"Why should we?" Rika retorted, knowing what he meant as this was an old argument. "We're long past the point of no return."

Yoshiyuki frowned. "I know that all too well. But you also know how I feel about this."

"Am I not attractive enough anymore?" Rika demanded.

Yoshiyuki stared at her in shock. "Why would you EVER think that? Every day you grow more beautiful."

"But soon I won't be growing much more," Rika insinuated.

"You noticed Hayabusa, didn't you?" Yoshiyuki figured.

"That's the name of that... girl," Rika hissed.

Yoshiyuki frowned. "Rika-chan, I know she has a crush on me... and is excessively forward, but she's not you. I love you. I asked you to marry me, and I still mean it. You mean so much to me that I've risked everything for you, and you alone."

"Then take the ultimate risk," Rika demanded.

"Not until we're married," Yoshiyuki replied firmly. "I don't want what we have to be about sex."

"I don't want that either, but I want YOU," Rika insisted. "I need to feel your love."

Yoshiyuki kissed the girl's forehead. "There are other ways to feel love."

Rika wrapped her hands around him. "I know that, but I want to feel complete with you."

"Rika-chan, I feel complete just holding you," Yoshiyuki replied tenderly.

"Make me feel loved," Rika pleaded.

Yoshiyuki laid the girl down onto the bed. "I'll do my best, but..."

Rika placed her finger on his lips. "No more words."

Soon the girl was made bare before her beloved, his fingers and mouth upon her body. Despite being enraptured with pleasure, her virtue remained mostly intact.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Touya growled, entering his father's living room.

Syaoran fidgeted as he sat on the couch. "I could say the same about you."

"This is my family's house. I have every right to be here," Touya returned.

"I'm, ah, taking Sakura on a date," Syaoran answered.

Touya glared. "On a school night?"

"We don't have a lot of homework, and well...," Syaoran trailed off.

"You made Sakura upset," Touya finished angrily.

"Kind of, but I'm still not sure how or why. I was protecting her," Syaoran explained.

Touya glanced toward Sakura's room. For some reason he felt he should be more upset at her than the brat, but he'd rather target his big brother frustrations at the heart thief. "If you ever hurt Sakura, they won't find your body."

"Not you too." Sakura glared at her brother. "Syaoran-kun said the same thing."

Syaoran was relieved to note that despite his girlfriend's momentary scowl, she seemed happier now than she did before. The approval in the young man's eyes set the teen's mind a bit at ease. He still didn't know why Daidouji called him up and told him to take Sakura out on a date, alone, but he was not about to turn down the girl's advice.

Touya didn't like that the pair left to be on a date on a Monday. He wouldn't like it if they went out any day of the week for that matter. His little sister was too young to be getting into a relationship like this, even knowing his mother was the same age when her brief courtship with his father happened. It was that knowledge that made the situation all the more upsetting. He tried to stomp down on his misgivings before going upstairs with a Cantonese textbook in hand to see another annoyance.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Coming Next: Chapter 4 - The Changing Bet Being married does not mean a perfect relationship as Chiharu and her husband get into an argument over whether being a boy or a girl was better.

For those that have missed it, I have a second Card Captor Sakura fanfiction called Sakura's Christmas Surprise and is in the same continuity as this series. Syaoran's comment of Sakura getting her horoscope read during her second visit to Hong Kong was detailed there.

I'd like to remind readers that insinuating sexual activity does not equate to full NC-17 lemon scene. You can find more explicit and visual scenes of sex in teen romance novels, daytime soap operas on television, and in PG-13 movies.

Japanese schools do not have janitors, instead it falls upon the students to maintain and clean their classrooms. While there are some who avoid such duty, it is instilled into most children that they should keep everything clean. As such the term from earlier, 'kirei wa kirei / clean is beautiful,' is an important cultural phrase. Even when it's not their own mess, many will clean up litter.

I've decided to add my own version of 'Kero-chan's Check' with an omake. Many of them will be little side stories that give more background information to the main story, yet don't quite work with the story flow. To start this off, a small moment of Meiling watching Syaoran on his first day at school in Hong Kong after Sakura's battle with Eriol.

* * *

"There you are, Meiling. I was wondering where you went," called out an elementary school girl with short, dark hair.

"Hi, Luchen, I just needed a little time to myself," Meiling replied with a slight depressed tone, her long raven hair streaming in the spring breeze.

"Why? I'd thought you'd be excited to see Syaoran back home," Luchen commented.

"I am glad for that..." Meiling sigh uncertainly.

"Then what's the matter?" Luchen pressed.

"Do you remember what Syaoran was like before he left for Japan?" Meiling question.

Luchen paused for thought. "I barely remember him at all. He was always so quiet and serious. About all I can remember was thinking, 'what crawled up his ass and died?'"

Meiling gave her friend a wry smile. "Not far off the mark there."

Luchen looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I forget when it was, maybe when we were two or three, but I do know it's Syaoran's oldest memory. His father was dying and he had Syaoran promise to train and become a worthy leader of the Li clan. He has lived by that vow ever since." Meiling shook her head. "Which kind of annoys me considering Syaoran's father married INTO the Li clan. It's Syaoran's mother who is the head of the clan." She then sighed. "But from what mother told me, Auntie and Uncle were more partners then husband and 'trophy wife.' And that the day Uncle died, Auntie and Syaoran died too."

"I see..." Luchen trailed off. She'd rather get off that morbid line of thought. "You know, I do remember what you were like before you went to Japan."

Meiling let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, I was a complete bitch."

"I wouldn't have put it that way," Luchen retorted.

Meiling smirked. "But it's the truth. I was so full of myself. I was second only to Syaoran. No other guy or any girl could beat me. Highest marks, fastest time, most points, biggest ego. I had everyone beat. Everything was perfect and I was invincible."

"So what humbled the great and mighty Meiling?" Luchen teased.

The reply was one word, "Kinomoto."

Luchen blinked in confusion.

Meiling curled up. "While I could reluctantly swallow a drop in grades because of stupid Japanese kanji, I suddenly found myself first at NOTHING! Assist Syaoran on his little quest? I got in the way more than I helped. Kinomoto ended up completing the quest and getting the rewards for it. Gymnastics exercises? Well, I'll do a series of tumbles and flips. Kinomoto did all of that and a double twist. Long distance running? I don't even want to remember that fiasco. Kindness? Gah! I was so far behind selflessness of Daidouji and Kinomoto it wasn't funny. Trust? Friendship? I had given none of that, but Kinomoto gave that to me."

Luchen placed her arms around the girl, surprised to see her on the verge of tears.

Meiling continued, "And the one thing, the ONE THING that mattered most to me, Kinomoto beat me there too. Syaoran loves her more than he loves me. And the stupidest thing of all, I can't hate her for it. Hate the world, but not her."

Luchen didn't know what to say. "Well, she's still there and he's here now."

"Don't tempt me," Meiling retorted. "It would only make things more painful for me. I can't win against her in this. There's no use in trying. It's quite literally written in the stars that they'll be together."

Luchen sighed. "I guess seeing Syaoran pulled all of this out."

"Hardly." Meiling scowled. "He returned home days ago. But today was the first day we had class together. You said it yourself he was quiet and serious before he left. Did he EVER talk to anyone? Did he EVER join in a game of anything? Now LOOK at him!" She pointed out at the school's yard where a pick-up game of soccer was being played with Syaoran amongst the players. "In all the time I've known him I could NEVER get him to do that, but SHE has. She got him to open up, to have fun. I'm just his cousin, his childhood friend, his proverbial sister."

"Well, he still loves you," Luchen said hopefully.

"But not the way I want!" Meiling protested. "I love him more than anything. I've wanted him to be happy. And now I learn to make him happy is to let him be with her, his beloved Kinomoto."

Luchen didn't know what to say. She simply sat next to her friend, yet slowly a smile crept on her face.

"What are you smiling at?" Meiling groused.

"Oh, just thinking about how two years ago you were a snotty brat that didn't apologize when you knocked me over. How you didn't have friends, but a pack of groupies who delighted in picking on weaker girls, like me. Yet, now we're best friends."

Meiling huffed. "You're not my best friend. I didn't cry into your lap for an entire night after Syaoran told me that he loved her, not me. You don't know about the stuff that happened in Japan. You don't know about my family's secrets." She then gave a ghost of a smile. "But you are a good friend. Maybe some day I'll let you in on the things in my life that you would have to see to believe."

"What could possibly go beyond what you just told me?" Luchen wondered.

"A world that I can only glimpse," Meiling answered enigmatically. "A world that's unbelievable."


	4. Weekend Gone Wrong Part 1 Changing Bet

A young teen thrashed in her bed. Sweat beaded over her body. Her face filled with a look of hopeless desperation. Her limbs struggled against then restraining blankets wrapped around her form, her hands clenched as if holding a rod.

In her mind's eye, she stood upon a street. Out of control fires casted distorted shadows all around her. Screams of rage, horror and pain filled her ears punctuated by repeated explosions. One particular shadow filled her field of view and with one final scream, her heart froze.

Suddenly she sat upright in her bed; a name dying on her lips that she had wanted to yell out. Her dilated green eyes shook as she slowly scanned the room as if the nightmare could still reach out and grab her.

Kero-chan yawned and rubbed its eye. "It was that dream again, wasn't it?"

Sakura relaxed upon seeing the diminutive guardian, but then pouted. "How would I know? I can never remember it."

The small flying plushy scowled. "That's only because you won't let yourself remember it. Has the foreboding gotten any worse?"

Sakura closed her eyes and tried to reflect on her jumbled feelings. "Not really, I guess. I doubt it's going to happen any time soon." She then sighed. "I just wish the dream wouldn't happen so randomly and actually warned me of when I'm going to be attacked."

Kero-chan shook its head. "Sakura-chan... the dream is a warning. You know that. Whether it's a battle with whoever is out to get you or some other threat... we don't know. You've got to stop blocking out things you don't like."

Turning off the alarm that was set to ring in five more minutes, the young teen exited her bed. "Kero-chan, you don't dream about the future. You don't know what kind of a burden it can be. To know that something bad will happen and that there's nothing, absolutely nothing, you can do to prevent it."

Kero-chan's black dotted eyes widened. "You remember something from one of your dreams?"

Sakura shook her head. "I just know that for one person, her dreams will end soon. One way or the other. And I can't do anything to help her."

Kero-chan nodded. "I see. But Sakura-chan, you have to realize that the future isn't written in stone. There are things you can change. Your recurrent nightmare is a warning of things gone bad, but there may be a way to change it."

Shaking her head violently, Sakura refused, "I can't, Kero-chan! I don't want to see a future gone bad that I can't change or worse!"

"What can be worse than not being able to change the future?" Kero-chan questioned, but received only stubborn silence as a response.

* * *

**Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 4: Sakura and the Weekend Gone Wrong - Part 1: The Changing Bet**

_By: Lord Archive_

Author's Warnings:

In accordance to movie rating system this series would be rated PG-13, and as for television would rate TV M for mature audience, but would be viewable with no edits save for some incidents of vulgar language. Due to subjective nature of the ratings, for FFnet this series has been labeled with R rating for those who have poor views of some of the subject matter contained within.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Stuffed animals cascaded from the bed as Chiharu slowly rose. She looked around blearily for a moment before recognizing her childhood bedroom. While the girl had taken to living at the Yamazaki household after her marriage to Takashi, there were times she wanted some distance from him. Especially when she felt bloated, cramped and ugly, and yet he seemed particularly frisky.

Chiharu went through her morning rituals to prepare for school. She was pleased to note she was running ahead of schedule, allowing her to try and finish her homework while she ate breakfast.

"Well, if it isn't the lady of the house."

Chiharu glanced up from her studies. "Morning, Sis."

While Chiharu was practically a clone of her mother, her elder sister, Natsumi, took after their father in appearance with dark, flat hair and serious, deep-brown eyes.

"This saves me the trouble of having to call you. Mom's got work tonight and I have stuff to do," Natsumi informed smugly.

Chiharu flinched. If neither her mother nor big sister were going to be home, then she had to watch over her father. And that was definitely not a job she enjoyed. However, she doubted she wanted to be alone with Takashi currently either. "I'll be here."

Natsumi nodded. "Good."

The younger sister returned to her textbook and frowned at the math problem she was working on. It still didn't make any sense. "Sis, can you help me with this?"

Natsumi scowled. "Why do you need any help with school work? It's not like you're ever going to graduate or have a real job."

Chiharu glared back. "I'll remember you said that when you're off at university while I'm raising a few kids and working as a waitress to make ends meet."

Natsumi laughed. "As I said, 'a REAL job.'"

"So, you would've preferred Mom married you off so you could take over the house and plop out grandkids for her?" Chiharu shot back.

"I wasn't the one spreading her legs for her boyfriend," Natsumi countered before stomping out of the kitchen.

"I had never wanted to be with Takashi that way," Chiharu whispered.

* * *

The entire point of having the students play dodge ball during this gym period was to help teach them to work in mix gender groups. However, making Takashi and Chiharu the respective team captains, free to choose their own teams, had been a mistake for the gym teacher. It quickly became obvious with the early selections of Naoko and other students typically picked last that this was going to be the boys verses the girls. With Syaoran absent due to the flu, there should've been at least one girl on Takashi's team, yet the last girl was given to Chiharu's team.

The gym teacher might've decided to comment if the last students to be picked weren't the ones that were the more athletic and elitist of class. It would be a nice lesson to them that they won't always be first. Not to mention a self-confidence boost to those normally picked last.

"Man, this will be an easy win," one boy announced proudly.

"Really?" Meiling mocked, scanning the boys. "Without Syaoran, I don't see any one of you anywhere near myself and Kinomoto's skill."

"Maybe not," Takashi returned. "But the average guy is stronger than the average girl. After all, it's a fact that a man's duty is to make life easy for women. And did you know that archaeologist recently discovered evidence that men used to be able to give birth. In fact, hermaphrodites are a throwback of these early men. However, to give women more of the share of work, men lost that ability."

There was no need to tell any single person in the room that this story was patently false.

And then the game began. Chiharu quickly grabbed one of the balls the gym teacher had tossed out and whipped it at her husband, beaming him in the face.

"No head shots," the teacher warned with little heat. The boy deserved it after his little story.

The game of dodge ball was relatively simple. Players would throw the ball at the opposing players, trying to hit them. If a player was hit by a ball, without catching it, and that the ball did not first hit the floor, they were out of the game.

The boy's team took early advantage targeting the weaker girls. However, after a vicious throw by one boy that sent Naoko sprawling when she got hit, Meiling snatched the ball and repaid the boy in kind, slamming the ball into his chest with impossible force and sending him to the ground.

Two girls came to the forefront of the action as the game wore on. Meiling was one of them, but Sakura wasn't the other one. Her mind was distracted by Syaoran being home sick and that she didn't quite have a killer instinct in sports. As such, she took a glancing blow to her leg after only removing one boy. The other girl was Ichimai Reiko, who took pleasure in surpassing Sakura in number of kills, and not just because she was picked dead last. Reiko wanted to be captain of the cheerleader squad, which both Sakura and Meiling stood in the way of that goal.

As the first game ended, Meiling noted the competition had ceased to be girls verses boys, but her against Reiko. The Chinese girl was aware of the girl's ambition, and wasn't about to back down from either this challenge or for cheerleader squad captaincy. She wished Sakura put up more of a fight in this contest, but was a distant third for the number of guys taken out.

In all of the games, either Chiharu or Takashi was the first to be eliminated, each time taken out by the other. Though neither had to wait long for their spouse to get knocked out by someone else.

Tomoyo nursed a bruised shoulder from where she had been hit by a ball. There just seemed to be days where it didn't pay to get out of bed. Chiharu was in an unusually foul mood, and that put Yamazaki on edge. Sakura was distracted by Li's illness. Not to mention Rika and Naoko were frustrated with their own life issues. Meiling taking on Reiko's unvoiced challenge didn't help matters. Can't forget the boys were becoming increasingly hostile at losing repeatedly to the girls. At the moment, she couldn't think of how things could get worse. Knowing Sakura and her adventures, it just might happen even without a random attack.

* * *

Chiharu and Takashi walked down the empty hallway. While having gym scheduled for today as the last class before lunch usually meant being the last to get lunch, today proved to be an exception.

"I don't see why you're still upset," Takashi commented, rubbing his sore and abused nose.

Chiharu huffed. "You are completely clueless. That lame story of yours in gym couldn't have been farther from the truth. Guys have it easy compared to girls."

"Oh, really?" Takashi returned. "And who is that's supposed to make the money to put food on the table?"

"And who is it that has to manage said money, take care of the house and kids, take odd jobs to make ends meet, and deal with stupid husbands?" Chiharu hissed back.

"I forgot. Men have to deal with whining and nagging, too," Takashi almost growled. "You just don't know how easy you got it."

Chiharu glared harshly at the boy. "I know of a way to prove that guys have it better than girls."

"How can you do that?" Takashi questioned.

"Simple, for the next twenty-four hours, you'll have to be me, and I'll be you," Chiharu explained. "And I mean that literally."

Takashi laughed. "Doubt your dresses would fit me."

Chiharu grinned almost evilly. "Oh, they will, after Sakura-chan is done with us."

"Wait, you're saying Kinomoto can SWITCH us?!" Takashi cried out in alarm.

Chiharu nodded seriously. "Yes. You'll get FIRST HAND knowledge of what a girl really goes through."

"You don't really mean that, do you?" Takashi questioned nervously.

"Yes, I do. It's only for a day, Takashi. There's no need to be afraid of anything, besides me proving you wrong," Chiharu challenged.

Takashi straightened. He wasn't going to back down against his wife, even in arguments as stupid as this. She needed the lesson that this would teach. "Fine, but you're the one who'll regret it."

* * *

Sakura was still in her gym uniform while she tried to rush her way outside of school. She came to a screeching halt as she almost literally ran into her music teacher, who was also the cheerleader coach. "Mizuho-sensei!"

The athletic woman smiled pleasantly as she appraised the girl. "Ah, Sakura-chan, already out of gym I see"  
Sakura shifted nervously while blushing. "Yes."

"That's good. There's something I wanted to ask you. As you know, the cheerleading team will be electing the team captain today," Mizuho reminded. "And while I don't have a vote, myself, I can endorse one of you girls."

"I see...," Sakura replied uncertainly.

"Would you like to be team captain?" Mizuho questioned.

Sakura blinked. She heard others talk about it, but hadn't really given it much thought herself. Slowly she began to shake her head. "I'm afraid not. Um, I won't be able to attend practice today, and I have certain... responsibilities that may interfere with being captain."

Mizuho blinked in surprised. "Are you sure?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes."

"I see, who do you think would make a good captain then? Meiling-chan certainly has the skill, but Reiko-chan has more experience on the team," Mizuho questioned.

Sakura pouted. "I hate to say it, but Reiko-chan would probably be better. Meiling-chan... has similar responsibilities as I do, and I'm not sure how well she'd do as a leader. We'll be sure to help Reiko-chan, though."

Mizuho nodded in thought. "Would Meiling-chan take captaincy if offered?"

"Probably," Sakura replied. "I really have to be going now. I'm sorry I won't make practice today. See you later." Without another word, she quickly rushed off barely shy of running.

The young sorceress looked around cautiously to make sure no one was looking as she entered a secluded area. Reaching out with her senses, she could detect no one watching her. She then pulled out her key and chanted, "O Key which hides the power of the stars, reveal thy true form before me. I, Sakura, command thee under contract. RELEASE! Bring forth an image of myself, MIRRROR!"

A large ornate mirror appeared before Sakura, but the reflection was of a longhaired girl. The girl stepped forward and took the physical shape of the sorceress, but she was wearing the junior high uniform and had a pair of lime green ribbons in her now short hair. "What would you like of me, Mistress?"

"Take my place in the afternoon classes. I need to see how Syaoran-kun is doing," Sakura informed.

"Yes, Mistress," Mirror replied.

Sakura pouted. "And stop calling me 'Mistress.'"

"As you wish, Mistress Sakura," Mirror returned with a slight smirk.

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura and Mirror turned to look at the confused faces of Chiharu and Takashi.

"I need my eyes checked. I'm seeing double," Takashi commented.

Chiharu folded her arms. "I take it you're skipping afternoon classes."

Sakura scratched the back of her head while giggling sheepishly. "Well, someone has to watch over Syaoran-kun. I've got to go now. You can help Mirror, right?"

Chiharu nodded. "Sure, but I need to ask you a favor first."

Sakura pouted. She was getting to hate these delays. "What is it?"

"I want you to switch Takashi and me with the Change card," Chiharu informed firmly.

Sakura blinked a few times. "You're not serious, are you?"

Chiharu and Takashi nodded.

Sakura wanted to argue against the request, but didn't know their reasons nor considered herself to have the time to deal with it. "Fine. But you do realize I won't be able to change you back for at least twenty-four hours."

"You will be able to switch us back at any point after that, right?" Takashi questioned.

"Why wouldn't I be able to? Switching souls is switching souls. Doesn't matter if I moved your soul before or not," Sakura answered. "Now if you really want to do this, you'll have to hug each other tightly."

Chiharu didn't exactly like that at the moment, but was the first to move to an embrace.

Sakura sighed as the two held each other closely. She didn't get to use this card often, and she could feel it eager to help. "Switch the souls of these two, CHANGE!"

The young couple glowed briefly. Then they blinked and slowly pulled away from each other. The boy looked disbelievingly at his hands, while the girl dropped to the ground clutching her side.

"What the hell?! Why do I feel like I'm being stabbed?" Takashi complained.

Chiharu grinned evilly. "Oh, did I forget to tell you? You're going through PMS. Enjoy."

Takashi blinked. "You go through this EVERY MONTH?!"

"Yep." Chiharu nodded.

Sakura sighed seeing that her spell had worked, and could now partially guess why Chiharu insisted on doing this. But she wanted to leave five minutes ago. She didn't even call out the names of the two cards she threw into the air. She grew wings and flew off with the image of a bird disguising her.

"Well, she's in a hurry," Chiharu commented, surprised that he didn't feel more disorientated by the change. Besides the sudden disappearance of cramps, it almost felt normal for him to be a guy now. He wondered how much of that had to do with the magic and with his rather intimate familiarity with this body.

Mirror smirked toward the prone girl clutching her side. "I guess we should meet up with Daidouji-sama and the others."

The boy nodded. "Let's go, 'Chiharu.'"

The girl looked up. "Don't you have any sympathy?"

"Did you ever give me any?" was the tort reply.

Takashi flinched. "I never thought it was this bad."

Chiharu was tempted to laugh, but was beginning to feel a little guilty inflicting his husband with the monthly pain. Yet Takashi could certainly learn that being a girl and periods were not something to joke about. He helped the girl to stand and lead her and Mirror to the spot their friends normally ate.

Tomoyo looked over the new arrivals. "Sakura-chan is off to see Li-kun, I take it."

Rika, Naoko and Meiling looked at Tomoyo in confusion.

Mirror nodded. "Yes. Mistress told me to take her place for the rest of the day."

Naoko blinked. "So, you're Mirror? How did you know Tomoyo?"

"The hair ribbons and that Sakura-chan ran off without changing back into her school uniform," Tomoyo replied simply.

Meiling raised an eyebrow. "Is there some deal with the hair ribbons?"

Tomoyo's smile brightened. "They were a present from Touya-san. She has a bit of a crush on him."

Mirror blushed deeply. "DAIDOUJI-SAMA!"

Meiling poked the embarrassed girl. "If you're going to be Kinomoto, you need to talk like her."

"And to think she caused so much mischief before Sakura-chan captured her," the lone boy of the group commented.

"Yamazaki-kun, since when have you been so formal with Sakura-chan?" Rika questioned.

The married couple began to laugh nervously, causing Tomoyo to shake her head sadly and Meiling to palm her forehead.

"What's going on?" Naoko wondered, noting the reactions.

"The Change card," Mirror said simply while motioning to the young couple.

"You mean Chiharu-chan is now Yamazaki-kun, and he's now her?!" Rika questioned in shock.

The switched duo nodded sheepishly.

"Why?" Meiling groused.

"Well, Mr. Know-It-All thought girls had it easier than guys, so I decided to prove him wrong," Chiharu informed, folding his arms.

Naoko started laughing. "That's one way to teach him."

Tomoyo sighed. "Chiharu-chan, I suggest you give Yamazaki-kun the TALK. I doubt 'SHE' knows anything about pads and such."

Takashi looked sick. "I'm going to have to put one of those THINGS inside me?"

Chiharu grinned. "My dear girl, you already do. Before lunch ends I'll teach you how to change it."

"Gee, thanks," Takashi muttered.

"Hope you've seen each other naked before," Meiling commented.

Meiling and Mirror then wondered why everyone started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Mirror questioned with a harsh tone. "He hasn't done things to her before, has he?"

"Let's put it this way: 'Yamazaki-chan' isn't a true nickname, and hasn't been one for almost a year," Tomoyo informed.

Meiling shrugged. "Figures."

"Ah. Didn't think people married that young in this age," Mirror replied.

Chiharu glared with little heat. "Do keep it quiet. I don't particularly want it public knowledge as it'd lead to questions I don't want answered."

Meiling suspected there was more to the request than being hounded by others about the couple's sex life. After all, having two junior high school students married off hardly seemed to be something that even the Japanese would consider normal. She glanced at Rika. "Why aren't you married yet?"

Rika pouted. "Well, I need my parents' permission to marry before I'm sixteen. And I seriously doubt they'd approve of my fiance, considering his age. Besides, I'll be needed at home more often now..." She let out a long sigh. "Mother is pregnant."

The group was unsure of how to respond to that. While one would consider Rika gaining another sibling to be good news, the sadness in her voice suggested she didn't think it was.

"I think the only way to complete today would be a surprise quiz," Tomoyo commented dryly.

* * *

Glazed eyes watched the television. Syaoran wasn't quite sure what he had, only that he felt completely drained, soar, and his stomach just wouldn't settle down. It took all the energy he had just to move into the main room.

The Chinese boy looked closer at the screen as the supposed children's show had another unnecessary panty-shot. Not that he minded. Though it seemed odd to the boy that in public the Japanese tended to be bigger prudes than the British, yet some of the Japanese shows he had seen made 'Benny Hill' look tame in comparison. These shows were nearly pornographic, unless you counted bare breasts as being porn, then they were. And these were on public broadcast.

Syaoran knew that not all Japanese shows had such 'service' to boys. That some programs went out of their way to keep the sexual situations and revealing shots out of the show completely. Though it still seemed odd to him just how many panty-shots he could find even in the cartoons aimed at little kids. It seemed like Japanese animators all had some collective panty fetish. He didn't really understand it, but he liked what he saw.

While Syaoran may have been sick, his magical ability wasn't diminished. He fumbled with the remote control as he felt Sakura approach his apartment. As the door opened he managed to shut off the television not wanting to explain why he was watching a juvenile show whose starring female was rubbing her panty-clad rear after a hard fall.

"Syaoran-kun! You're up!" Sakura cried out happily.

Syaoran moaned out a short nervous laugh. The fact that Sakura was in her gym uniform of loose T-shirt and skintight shorts only served to continue his previous thoughts. "Yeah. What are you doing here? You should be in school."

Sakura huffed. "Mirror is taking care of that."

"Even cheerleading practice?" Syaoran pressed.

Sakura shook her head. "I gave Mizuho-sensei my vote and told her I wouldn't be able to be make practice nor be captain."

Syaoran grunted as he nodded. He hadn't had a chance to watch her practice yet, but knew that she stood a chance to be team captain. It was probably best she didn't become captain, as she had enough to deal with considering her magical troubles.

"Have you had lunch yet?" Sakura questioned.

Syaoran slowly shook his head. "Not really hungry."

"You need to eat something to get healthy. I'll make something up," Sakura replied firmly. "Why don't you find something to watch?"

Syaoran twitched nervously. "Nothing on."

"Really?" Sakura picked up the remote and clicked the television on. She looked at what immediately came on. "Oh, this show isn't bad. Kero-chan loves it for some reason."

Syaoran flushed as yet another panty-shot flashed on the screen, though he would blame his fever for the redness of his cheeks. He sat there quietly as Sakura went to the kitchen to prepare lunch. He paid less attention to the plot than he did to the cute female character that bore an uncanny similarity to Sakura save the anime girl was far less modest.

* * *

"Thank God that's over!" Takashi cried out, dragging herself down the school hallways. "I'll be happy to get out of this damn skirt and put on some pants!"

"The worst is yet to come," Chiharu warned.

"What's worse than cramps, pop quizzes, and boring lectures?" Takashi returned.

"I'll tell you later," Chiharu promised.

"You better have wrote 'Mihara Chiharu' on your history quiz, it wouldn't do to have two 'Yamazaki Takashi,'" Takashi commented bitterly.

"Of course I wrote my own name. We discussed that at lunch," Chiharu groused.

Meiling ignored the married couple. She looked at Mirror. "Are you going to cheerleader practice?"

"No, I should be returning soon. I think I may be draining too much from Mistress," Mirror replied.

"Why didn't you fake being sick for the pop quiz?" Tomoyo questioned.

Mirror shrugged. "If it had been any other class besides History, I would have. But I was there during those events, so I knew the answers."

"Ah." Tomoyo nodded. "Wish I did. I didn't exactly study last night."

"Ah, Kinomoto!" a man called out.

"Um, yes, Hiwa-sensei?" Mirror replied.

"I know your father is an archaeologist and while it's nice to see you've done some extra work, I'm afraid I'll have to mark you down on a few of your answers. Your answers may be more correct historically, but they do not follow what's written in your textbook," the thin, bespectacled teacher explained.

Mirror scowled. "I understand, Hiwa-sensei."

"Still, you've done quite well. And do keep an open mind when studying the past. 'History is written by the victor,' as such bias often creeps into historical accounts," Hiwa told her with a cheerful smile.

"Yes, Hiwa-sensei." Mirror nodded and watched him walk down the school hallway. "'Victor' my ass. The Emperor went into hiding. If it wasn't for..." She shook her head fiercely. "No need to think of a dead past."

Tomoyo gazed at Mirror, sensing there was much more to this than conflicting historical views. She then smiled sweetly. "Why don't we check on Sakura-chan and Li-kun?"

Mirror nodded. She then felt faint and leaned against the wall to support herself.

"What's wrong?" Tomoyo questioned.

"I'm afraid Mistress really has used up too much of her magic. I doubt she'll be able to switch you two back for a few days at least," Mirror told the Yamazaki couple. She then asked, "Daidouji-sama, please return me to my Mistress." Without a further word, her body shimmered in light and swirled away until she was a pink card in Tomoyo's hands.

"Huh?! I thought Sakura-chan was supposed to be stronger than this!" Takeshi cried out.

"Change and Mirror are both high level magic. Then add whatever other magic she recklessly tossed around and she likely drained herself to the point she made herself tired and couldn't fight whatever bug Syaoran picked up," Meiling commented.

"Just for a day, huh?" Takeshi growled out.

"You'll just get more knowledge of what being a girl is like," Chiharu returned.

* * *

Yukito gazed over Tomoeda as stood at the open hallway in front of Syaoran's apartment. He held no reaction as a dejected looking stuffed animal flew over to him and sat on his shoulder. "No luck?"

"Sakura-chan's asleep on the couch and none of the windows are open," Kero-chan replied.

"Don't want to wake her," Yukito commented, brushing his platinum hair away from his glasses.  
"Of course not." Kero-chan huffed. "But how can we tend to her if we can't get in there?"

Yukito smirked. "Yue's thoughts on the matter would likely wake her up, but it'd certainly open the door."

"Oh, yes. Blowing up the door would get us in, and make Sakura-chan upset," Kero-chan groused. "Still, I'm surprised Touya was the one to suggest that we take care of Sakura-chan HERE."

"Their father does have that presentation on Monday. It wouldn't do for him to be troubled by having to care for Sakura-chan or get ill for that matter." Yukito smiled wryly. "Besides, it's not like we could get sick."

Kero-chan folded his stubby arms. "I know that. But still, for Touya to ask us to help her and that she should stay here until she gets better...."

"And grumbling and cursing while asking us to do it," Yukito added with a smirk. "He just doesn't want to lose his beloved sister to anyone, even though he knows that someday she will get married."

"Hello!" Tomoyo greeted with a large smile. "Here to see Sakura-chan?"

"Yes, and she's asleep. Tell me you can get in!" Kero-chan demanded.

Tomoyo looked at the apartment door. "Well, I could rush home to get tools to pick the lock. You'd be surprised at how many similarities there are to that and sewing." She tapped her chin in mock thought and then pulled out the Sakura card she had. "I could slip Mirror under the door and hope she self-activates to open the door from the inside." The girl then reached into her pocket. "I suppose I could also use Meiling-chan's keys, however..." Tomoyo walked over to the front door and opened it without using the keys. "I doubt Sakura-chan locked the door when she came here."

Yukito and Kero-chan laughed nervously for failing to see something so obvious.

* * *

Naoko chewed on her pen, half-aware of the role-playing game going on next to her. At the moment she understood quite well why the school barred students from having a job. The next chapter of her novella was due tomorrow and she was still on the first page of it. The upcoming test in mathematics was completely unimportant to her, while keeping her job meant everything.

What could she do to advance her story and yet not give away too much too soon? Naoko knew how she wanted to reveal the identity of Black Wolf and the events leading up to it, but the timeline for it left her at dead spot. The world she had set up would not allow for Detective Eagris to sit on his ass for a few months until the next major event. A time jump was simply out of the question.

Give Eagris a case unrelated to Black Wolf to work on? No, that wouldn't work. The Black Wolf case was such a high priority that it was now the only one Eagris worked on. Besides, she despised fillers. Introduce a new character Eagris knew? She wanted to pull her hair out for even thinking that. While Eagris was decidedly an oddball in how he thinks things through, he was still very much a loner. Work was his life. And in the two years of his adventures, two family members and four long-term friends had already been detailed in the story. He wouldn't have any more friends. Have a Black Wolf sighting? Why? There's nothing to gain the criminal's interest. Have Repressa try to advance their relationship? The stupid girl was in too much denial of her feelings to even try that. Eagris was more likely to start something, but he'd get pounded into the ground if he tried.

Naoko sighed and glanced over at the game. She smirked slightly at Asaba's interpretation of who Black Wolf was. Wouldn't he be surprised when he figured out the violent criminal of her story was already a regular character, and not to mention that SHE was far from the muscular and imposing man the boy imagined.

A thought struck her. If these boys were such fans of her series that they were playing a game based on it, then perhaps they could offer her a suggestion. "Excuse me, but recently Konagi has been running thin on ideas and asked me for some help. Perhaps you could offer some thought on the story?"

"I still don't believe you know her," Asaba growled out.

"Truth can be stranger than fiction," Naoko replied with a grin.

"How about revealing who Black Wolf is," Asaba said firmly.

Tsuda gave a short laugh. "And ruin the mystery? That doesn't work."

"How about introducing Black Wolf's character but don't reveal that it's him?" Asaba suggested.

Naoko smirked. "Already done."

"WHAT?!" chorused all the boys who were playing the game.

"Black Wolf is already one of the characters," Naoko affirmed.

"Then how about giving readers a clue to that fact?" Asaba questioned.

"Thought that was obvious already." Naoko rubbed her chin. She then hummed in thought. "It would be possible to start a fight between some of the main suspects and then show the aftermath suggesting Black Wolf was involved...." She smiled deviously. "You're a great help, Asaba. I'll go tell Konagi about this right away!"

"Do you believe she knows Konagi?" Asaba asked the boys.

Tsuda was the only one to reply with something other than a shrug. "I wouldn't be surprised if she IS Konagi Noa."

That brought a round of laughter and comments of disbelief.

* * *

On an open field, two dozen girls were practicing various cheerleading skills, each one honing what they were weakest at or perfecting a complex trick. While few considered cheerleading a sport, the girls definitely had spectators in the form of a gaggle of boys hoping to get a peek under the short skirts worn.

"All right girls, gather round," Mizuho called out. She waited for the girls to kneel before her before she continued, "I have tallied the votes. While Sakura-chan likely appreciates your vote of confidence in her, as I told you before voting that she does not wish to be captain. Since only three girls have received any votes, and that the combined votes for Sakura-chan and Meiling-chan are less than the ones for Reiko-chan... Reiko-chan is our new captain!"

Reiko basked in praise and congratulations from most of her teammates.

Meiling scowled. She hated losing to anybody for any reason.

After the girls settled down, Mizuho spoke again, "Sakura-chan has already pledged to assist you, Reiko-chan. And I hope Meiling-chan will be of help to you as well."

Reiko nodded. "I'll be glad to have their help."

Meiling's scowl deepened, noting how the cheerleading coach had phrased that. Kinomoto had voted AGAINST her.

* * *

"I'm home!" Rika called out, but received no reply to her greeting. Passing the living room, she sparred a glance at her little brother as he was engrossed in some video game. She found her mother working on dinner in the kitchen.

"You really should be walking your little brother home," Mrs. Sasaki chastised.

Rika frowned, but remained silent. Arguing with her mother got her nowhere. With the exception of her first day at kindergarten, her mother never walked her to school. So why her mother expected that her seven-year-old brother still needed to be watched after eluded her. She had her own clubs and friends to deal with.

The tangy aroma of vegetables being grilled filled Rika's sense of smell, making her hungry. Then her mother's face quirked and the woman quickly turned and vomited into the conveniently placed trash can.

Rika scowled, unsure if she was jealous or angry. Probably both. She wanted to be with her fiance and have his child, not hold the hand of her mother who had long been ignoring her presence except when something needed to be done.

"That reminds me, I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow at two o'clock, so I won't be able to take Kokkou-chan to his baseball game. You'll need to take him," Mrs. Sasaki informed.

Rika stared blankly. "Mother, I have a concert to perform tomorrow."

"You'll just have to skip it," Mrs. Sasaki replied off-handedly.

"I can't do that, Mother. If I'm not there, they'll have to cancel the performance," Rika replied with a slight hiss to her voice.

Mrs. Sasaki merely shook her head. "Certainly someone else can play piano besides you. Naoko-chan for example."

"Naoko-chan hasn't played in almost three years. And there isn't anyone else on orchestra who plays piano," Rika explained. "I can't let every down for this."

"Then it'll have to be canceled. Kokkou can't miss his game," Mrs. Sasaki ordered.

Rika was about ready to pull out her hair. How her little brother warming the bench was more important than three dozen people playing in the orchestra and the hundreds of people planning to attend was beyond her. "How about I get a babysitter for him? Tomorrow is too important for too many people!"

"Don't raise your voice to me," Mrs. Sasaki growled. "Kokkou is going to his game, and that's final."

Rika glared and stomped out of the kitchen. She desperately hoped the baby her mother carried was a boy. To be ignored by her mother so completely was a curse she didn't want to see passed on.

It didn't help her family that her father worked overseas all the time. The only one she could turn to for any help was Yoshiyuki, but she was too young to marry him yet. Her mother certainly wouldn't agree to a wedding, especially now with there being so much that was needed be done at home thanks to the pregnancy. She particularly didn't want to help her mother with this, especially considering she doubted who the father of the baby was.

Rika cast an angry gaze toward the kitchen. Her mother probably didn't even hear her ask about a baby-sister. Still, she hadn't been told not to use one. Now who to ask?

* * *

"Tell me again why I'm cleaning the house?" Takashi hissed quietly.

Chiharu grinned as he laid along the couch. "Simple, 'Chiharu-chan,' it's a 'woman's duty' to tend to the house. How many times have 'I' told you that?"

"Ha ha," Takashi drawled. "Could you at least help a little?"

"Why? It's a 'woman's duty'?" Chiharu affirmed. "You didn't help me before, so I won't now."

Mrs. Mihara entered the room, dressed in a waitress outfit complete with nametag. "I'm off to work. Be sure check on your father."

Takashi nodded. "Of course. See you later."

Chiharu gave a short wave.

Mrs. Mihara looked at them for a second before shrugging and leaving for work.

"So, when does your sister come home?" Takashi asked.

"Not until late tonight," Chiharu replied while scratching himself.

"That looks so wrong," Takashi groused.

"Then don't do it again," Chiharu shot back.

"Don't you think you're laying this all on a little too thick?" Takashi growled.

"Nope. You've done worse," Chiharu replied.

"I doubt that," Takashi replied.

Chiharu was half tempted to prove the temporary girl wrong again. But that would involve quite literally fucking herself. There was no way Takashi wanted sex right now, especially with PMS, and he could push her into sex just as his spouse had countless times before the switch.

Chiharu tried to stomp down on the growing feelings inside him. The cute ass waving before him, the tented pants constricting a part of him he would rather not think about, and the soft flesh he was all too aware existed beneath the tight clothes....

Takashi looked over as Chiharu quickly stood up and marched to the door. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"I should be going to your house. No sense sticking around," Chiharu replied, laughing nervously.

The bulge her spouse was displaying showed the true answer, and it made the temporary girl sick to her stomach knowing what was going through the boy's mind. There was NO way she was going to allow THAT! "Yeah, you go home. Be sure to show Dad the results of yesterday's test."

* * *

Sakura's eyes fluttered open, a little startled at what she saw. "This is starting to become a habit." How did she end up sleeping in his bed?

Syaoran blushed and tried to laugh nervously. "Daidouji's idea. How are you feeling?"

Sakura paused. "Hot and nauseous." She then pouted. "You got me sick."

"Sorry," Syaoran replied sheepishly.

Sakura curled up closer to her boyfriend, pressing her forehead against his chest. "I don't mind if I can stay here."

"For as long as you want," Syaoran told her.

Sakura giggled. "Then I'll never leave."

"Now I want to vomit," Meiling groused, standing at the door.

"Um, hi," Sakura greeted. "What time is it?"

"Almost seven o'clock," Meiling replied.

Sakura sat up quickly and then almost fainted back into bed. She wobbled slightly. "Oh, no. I need to get home and cook dinner for Dad."

"You stay right there," Meiling ordered. "Your brother is handling that. He already knows you're sick and sent Tsukishiro and the plushy here to watch over you."

Sakura blinked disbelievingly. "My brother did what?"

"Here's dinner," Yukito announced, entering the room holding a tray with two steaming bowls. "Careful, it's still hot."

"Why would my brother send you to help me HERE?" Sakura questioned again.

Yukito felt Sakura's forehead. "Because he's worried about you and that your father has that presentation Monday."

"But HERE?" Sakura pressed. "Is HE okay?"

Yukito laughed a little. "He was muttering and cursing while asking us to help you."

"Oh, good. He's not possessed," Sakura joked.

"Now, Kinomoto," Meiling barked. "Why did you vote against me as cheerleader captain?"

Sakura fidgeted. "Well, I wasn't sure if you'd be able to devote enough time to it, and I wasn't sure if, well, you'd be... organized."

"What do you mean by THAT?" Meiling demanded.

Sakura withered under the girl's glare.

"Face it, Meiling, you don't know how to plan. You see a goal and you go after it with everything you got, but you don't take the time to think of the best way to get there," Syaoran told her bluntly.

"I do not!" Meiling protested.

"The marathon. All those burnt cakes. Swimming Honk Kong bay. Challenging that dojo. Science projects. Advanced martial-"

"I GET THE PICTURE!" Meiling screamed, before running out the room and slamming her bedroom door.

Sakura frowned. "Syaoran-kun, that wasn't nice."

Yukito sighed sadly. "The worst criticism to take is the one that is true."

* * *

"Takashi, what is this?" Mr. Yamazaki demanded of his son.

Chiharu stood dumbly at the anger the man displayed. The test score was ninety-four and tenth in the school. Why would that be bad?

Mr. Yamazaki set the paper down as if it was vile garbage. "Takashi, more than anyone else in your school, you NEED to get into a good college. You're already married and, by the way you're going at it, may be a father soon. You're not competing with just your classmates, but all of Japan! You know this already!"

Chiharu took a step back. Never before had she seen Takashi's father so upset.

"How the hell can you support your family if you go to some shit college and get some crappy job?" Mr. Yamazaki hissed. "You need to be better than anyone else for Chiharu-chan's sake. Think of her when you don't even rank in the top thousand students. Think of how you'll feed your children without a decent job.

"Go to your room and study. Maybe a little hunger can motivate you."

Chiharu walked to the bedroom in a daze, not even noticing Mrs. Yamazaki studiously making dinner as he passed the kitchen. Was this the kind of pressure Takashi was under? As a girl, no one cared what grades appeared on the tests. Being a housewife and eventually a mother made school practically pointless. She knew Takashi spent a lot of time studying, but was he really thinking about their future already?

* * *

The room looked more like it belonged in a hospital rather than in a suburban home. And the frail man laying on bed almost appeared to be a corpse if not for the shallow raspy breath that echoed gloomily in the room. It was hard to believe that the man was only forty. A price paid for ignoring symptoms of cancer until it had spread throughout his body. The doctors were surprised he had lived this long.

"Hello, Dad," Takashi greeted cautiously. "How are you feeling?"

"Same as usual," Mr. Mihara wheezed out.

"That's good, I guess," Takashi replied. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Sit with me for a minute," Mr. Mihara requested.

"Certainly." Takashi sat down at the chair next to the bed. She felt uneasy under the man's gaze. "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

"You're not Chiharu," Mr. Mihara said.

Takashi was taken aback. "Dad..."

"My daughter busies herself tending only to my physical needs. She no longer talks to me," Mr. Mihara commented.

"Dad... I'm sorry... I...," Takashi fumbled.

"You don't talk like her either," Mr. Mihara added.

"Do you believe in magic?" Takashi questioned.

Mr. Mihara had a ghost of a smile. "I remember the days when I first met my wife. Things were so simple and wonderful then."

"Would you believe I'm really Takashi?" the girl asked.

The man nodded faintly. "You sound like him."

"A friend of Chiharu's is apparently an incredibly powerful practitioner of real magic." Takashi sighed. "And after a stupid argument with Chiharu... she convinced the magic-user to switch our souls. It's only for the weekend or so, but I'm learning all to well that I took what Chiharu goes through far too lightly."

Mr. Mihara laughed. "That certainly sounds like something Takashi would say."

Takashi smiled slightly. "I could tell you all sorts of unbelievable things. Many of which I've learned are actually true." She then pouted. "I'm afraid to say that Kinomoto's power doesn't extend to healing. She's sick with the flu right now."

"Ah, Kinomoto. It's been a while since I heard that name. Any relation to Fujitaka or Nadeshiko?" Mr. Mihara questioned.

"Their daughter, Kinomoto Sakura," Takashi answered.

Mr. Mihara coughed up a laugh. "Little Sakura-chan is a witch and is that dirty-teacher's daughter. Amazing what you miss when you bury yourself into work. Takashi, do Chiharu a favor and never, ever take her for granted. Work became my life. It was only when I learned I had cancer that I finally took the time to appreciate what I had."

Takashi nodded. "I promise."

"Now, Takashi..." The man shifted slightly. "Let's hear some of those true stories."

Takashi smiled gently. "Of course. I'll start with the one that freaked out Kinomoto and lead me to learn she could use magic. You see, magical girls first appeared in ancient Egypt...."

* * *

Author's Notes:

I had intended the entire weekend to be a single chapter, but topping over eighteen pages and being only half done I decided to make it two chapters instead.

How did Mr. Mihara figure out that wasn't his daughter? A few things: First, Japanese speech is gender specific. For example, girls use a different word for I, often watashi, than boys do, usually boku or ore. (There are more words that can mean I and it can get rather complicated.) Second, being close to death, he wants to appreciate the life he still has and is more keenly aware of his daughter's current mannerisms than most people would be. Third, those who know their death is coming soon are often thought to be more open to the super-natural, whether it's death opening them to it or that the person is less likely to deny what they feel and sense.

This time around, the omake isn't part of this universe. Just something... strange I typed up:

Sakura's Xiaolin Showdown

This is set sometime around Chase Young's first appearance.

* * *

Jack raised his iron fist above the prone and unconscious bald boy. "I'm going to put you out of my misery once and for all, Omi. FIST OF TEBIGON!"

"POWER!"

Jack blinked and found the unstoppable Shen-Gong-Wu being held back by an overly cute Japanese girl. "Who are you?!"

The floating ghost of the ancient sorceress, Wuya, immediately moved in front of the girl's face.

The girl's emerald eyes crossed. "G-g-g-g-g-g-GHOST!" She promptly tried to pound the offending spirit with the nearest object at hand, which happened to be Jack.

"That won't work on me, child," the ghost sneered. "But I must ask, was that a Clow Card you just used?"

"S-S-Sakura c-c-card," the girl stuttered, still fearful of the spirit. "I-I made it from the Clow Cards."

"You. MADE. IT?!" Wuya demanded.

Sakura nodded. Her hand was shaking as she reached for another card.

Jack shook his head and rubbed his arm after waking from being used as a hammer. "That wasn't a nice thing to do."

"Jack, run," Wuya advised quietly, her eyes unnaturally wide.

"Huh?" Jack questioned.

"Run, you fool! She possesses more power than all the Shen-Gong-Wu put together!" Wuya warned before disappearing into a puff of smoke.

Jack blinked dumbly at where the ghost had been, then at the girl. He couldn't believe Wuya's warning, but who was he to judge? "Laters!" He summoned his hover jet, hopped on, and bolted for the horizon.

Sakura continued to tremble. "G-g-g-g-ghost." Besides trembling, she didn't move as three young teens dress in red and white douji arrived with a small green dragon.

"Hey, Omi! Wake up!" The Brazilian boy, Raimundo, slapped the still out-of-it Chinese boy.

Omi groaned. "Anyone get the phone number of that Shen-Gong-Wu?"

Raimundo dropped the boy. "He's fine."

"Hey, you okay?" the newly arrived, raven-haired, Japanese girl, Kimiko, questioned, waving her hand in front of the stuttering girl, but didn't get a reply except 'ghost.'

"I take it Jack got the Shen-Gong-Wu," the Texan teen, Clay, commented.

"I guess so." Omi wobbled as he stood up. "He suckered punched me before I could find it."

The green dragon scratched his back. "Nope, my itch says it hasn't been found yet."

"Then where'd Jack and Wuya go?" Clay questioned.

"G-g-g-ghost!" Sakura stuttered out loudly.

Raimundo thumbed toward the girl. "Obviously they were here."

Dojo took a close look at the wand in the frightened girl's hand. "That feels familiar somehow."

"Is that the Shen-Gong-Wu?" Kimiko asked.

"Nope. But it certainly holds a LOT of magic," Dojo replied.

"SAKURA!"

The four teens and the dragon looked to the sky as a winged mountain lion flew down and landed in front of the trembling girl. It waved a paw in front of the girl, but all she could was utter 'ghost.'

"Why do I have the feeling we've stepped into the Twilight Zone or some stupid crossover?" Raimundo groused.

"Cerberus! It's been a Dark Age!" the dragon called out.

"Eh?! Dojo! LONG time no see!" Cerberus returned. "You wouldn't happen ta know why Sakura's like this?"

"Spent some time in Kansai, I hear." Dojo let out a short chuckle. "Best guess is she met Wuya."

"Didn't Dashi kill her?" Cerberus asked.

"He trapped her spirit in a puzzle box, making her a ghost," Dojo explained.

Sakura trembled more.

"I see. I see." Cerberus nodded. "But what to do to wake her? Her boyfriend is in Hong Kong, and I'd rather not deal with her brother."

"What about Clow Reed?" Dojo asked.

Cerberus frowned. "Died some centuries ago."

Dojo nodded sadly. "That's too bad."

Cerberus then paused as an old memory struck. He then scowled at the dragon. "Hey, you still owe me for that desert you swiped!"

Dojo blinked and looked confused for a moment before glaring. "That was MY desert. You had no claim over it!"

"Clow made it for me!" Cerberus pressed.

"No, Dashi made it for me!" Dojo countered, his forehead pushed up against the lion's.

Kimiko shook her head as the two mythical beasts' argument degraded into continued pronouncements of 'For me!'

"There's a battle of wits even Omi could when," Raimundo said dryly.

"Yeah." Omi nodded, then blinked. "Hey!"

While the battle of wills continued, Sakura's trembling changed in tempo. Her face went from frightened to a scowl. "KERO-CHAN!"

Immediately the mountain lion froze into a statue.

Dojo blinked repeatedly. "She's your master?"

Cerberus nodded nervously. "At least she's awake now."

"So she has the Clow Cards?" Dojo questioned.

"She converted them all to Sakura Cards," Cerberus replied.

Sakura's confusion at the situation was increased as the green dragon suddenly bowed at her feet. "Oh, goddess of the cards, please spare this humble creature. Taking Cerberus's desert was just a joke. Honest!"

"A JOKE?!" Cerberus howled.

"Kero-chan!" Sakura said firmly.

The lion cringed.

"Mind filling us in?" Raimundo questioned.

"What is going on?" Sakura asked as well.

"Guess I'll have to be the one to explain." Dojo sighed. "Well, as insufferable and annoying Dashi could be at times, if there was ever a bigger goodhearted asshole, it was his cousin, Clow Reed."

"HEY! Don't talk about Clow Reed like that!" Cerberus yelled. He then muttered, "Even though it's true."

"Weird name. Doesn't sound Asian at all," Kimiko commented.

"That's because Dashi's aunt married a fairly powerful European warlock. By the age of fourteen, Clow had already mastered all the Western AND Eastern magic his parents could teach him. If it wasn't for Dashi's affinity with the Shen-Gong-Wu, he would've never held a candle to his cousin's power. Clow Reed was so powerful he could've defeated Wuya by himself," Dojo explained.

"Why didn't he?" Clay questioned.

"Because he knew it wasn't his task, or so he told us." Dojo shook his head. "He did bail Dashi out of a few tight spots, like when Wuya sent Mala Mala Jong after him."

"That's all very interesting, but why did you call her 'goddess of the cards?'" Omi asked.

Dojo rubbed his chin. "Since Wuya wasn't his opponent, Clow Reed got a bit bored. He began to study the Shen-Gong-Wu and combined what he learned from them and other obscure and strange magics to produce the all-powerful Clow Cards. A single card holds more power than any single Shen-Gong-Wu. The complete twenty-six card deck rivals ALL the Shen-Gong-Wu put together."

"Fifty-three cards," Sakura interrupted.

"Eh?" Dojo emitted.

"Clow made fifty-three cards," Cerberus repeated. "Though there are a couple cards that aren't quite as powerful as some of the Shen-Gong-Wu."

Dojo let out a short chuckle. "At least that's good to know. But still... fifty-three cards. To do that she'd have to have more power than Clow Reed did. Especially if she managed to convert Light and Dark."

Sakura fidgeted. "Those were easy compared to Void."

"Void?" Dojo questioned.

"Think of it like a joker card," Cerberus suggested. "It could cancel out ANY other Clow Card and completely destroy ANYthing. Damn near erased Tomoeda off the map if Sakura hadn't over transformed it, turning it into Hope."

"There's ONE card that EQUALS the other fifty-two in power! That one card would exceed all the Shen-Gong-Wu put together!" Dojo cried out. "She could wipe out Wuya easily!"

Cerberus nodded. "Probably." The Xiaolin Dragons looked at each other.

Raimundo walked up to Sakura, extending his hand. "How would you like to be the Xiaolin Dragon of Magic? We could REALLY use your help."

Sakura blinked. "Xiaolin Dragon?"

Kimiko nodded. "Yep. We search the world for the hidden Shen-Gong-Wu, magical artifacts that give the user immense power. We have to find them to make sure they don't get misused."

Sakura closed her eyes. "You mean like your star pendant, his sash, his sword, his orb, and the shield over there?" In each case she pointed at a Shen-Gong-Wu.

The Xiaolin Dragons all looked at ground where the girl was now pointing, but only saw a hint of metal poking up from the ground.

"Nice trick." Raimundo was even more impressed with the girl. She could even sense where the Shen-Gong-Wu were better than the cowardly dragon. He then frowned. "Great, it's buried. It'll take a while to dig it up."

Clay stepped forward. "No problem I...."

"Earthy!" Sakura called out. A magical glowing circle filled with complex runes appeared beneath her as a card spun in the air above her staff.

The Texan stared along with the others as the ground split open and the shield lifted out of its resting-place by a pillar of rock.

Omi cautiously grabbed the shield. Then the pillar fell back into the Earth as the ground came back together as if it had never been touched.

* * *

"This is no good. No good at all," Wuya groused as she paced back and forth.

"Would you quit that?!" Jack growled. "You're wearing a rut in the air."

"Jack, this is no time for joking around. If that... girl joins the Xiaolin Dragons, we have lost," Wuya complained.

"And why should I care about this girl?" Jack retorted. "You certainly seemed frightened of her. Give me one reason I don't invite her here? We aren't partners anymore, remember?"

"Back when I battled Dashi, he was sometimes aided by his insufferable, egotistical, smart-assed, asshole of a cousin," Wuya began.

"What? Was he your ex-boyfriend too?" Jack questioned with an evil tone.

Wuya growled angrily and tried in vain to rip the boy's tongue and throat out. "NO! By all that is unholy, NO! NEVER! I only slept with him because of that one accursed Shen-Gong-Wu!"

"So he was your boyfriend," Jack 'observed' and then had to put up with the cold chill the ghost's presence generated.

After a few minutes of venting her impotent rage, Wuya continued with, "Anyway...," which sounded more like 'Go to hell.' "Clow Reed never bothered to use Shen-Gong-Wu. His power rivaled my own when he was but a snot-nosed teenager. Then he got stronger. His crowning achievement was the creation of magical cards that are each more powerful than any Shen-Gong-Wu. He even made his own pair of mythical beasts, similar to Dojo, to act as guardians over these cards due to the immense power they possessed."

"That's great." Jack grinned. "I'll just go and steal those cards from her and I'll be invincible."

"Get a brain," Wuya spat. "If it was that simple, I would've told you to do that while she was scared of me. Those cards are attached to her magic, meaning only she can use them. All she has to do is will the card to be in her hand, and it's there. The ONLY way to use her cards is to kill her first, and good fucking luck trying to do THAT!"

Jack pointed at the ghost. "Which brings the question of why we ran from her if she's scared of you?"

"Because, you simpleton, she was about to pull out the Light card. With it she could utterly destroy my existence in this world!" Wuya countered.

"Okay, explains why YOU need to be afraid. But what else can she do?" Jack questioned.

"Name a Shen-Gong-Wu, ANY one of them, and she can duplicate it's effects," Wuya answered harshly. "Stop time and strip you naked? Time. Make a Jack flambe? Firey. Drown your tin soldiers? Watery. There is nothing she can't do if she really wants to."

"Bring back the dead," Jack stated as a challenge.

"She could even do that as a different application of the Light card. However, there is a price. Someone else who is full of life would have to surrender their life to the Dark card," Wuya explained. "Clow did it once by exchanging the life of a murderer to bring back the victim's life."

"Can the Shen-Gong-Wu even do that?" Jack questioned.

Wuya paused. "Possibly, but not easily. And probably with a similar cost in life."

Jack pondered the situation, then a device on his workbench began to blink. "Booya! A new Shen-Gong-Wu!"

Wuya allowed her senses to grasp which mystical item it was and then shuddered in horror. "Jack, leave that Shen-Gong-Wu alone."

"Why? Is it like that Sapphire Dragon one?" Jack questioned, still prepping to go after the artifact.

"No, worse. MUCH worse. It's Long Dong, a horrid, horrid Shen-Gong-Wu. It must never be activated." Wuya spasmed in disgust. "It's better in the Xiaolin hands than elsewhere."

Jack glared. "And why is that?"

"Let's just put it this way," Wuya replied. "If it gets activated, Kimiko will get a LOT of unwanted attention from her fellow dragons."

Jack blinked in confusion. "Unwanted attention? What do you mean by..." His eyes widened as he figured it out. "Oh..."

Wuya nodded, then grinned wickedly. "And if that girl with the cards is with them, she'd certainly leave the team after they rape her repeatedly all day long."

"That's the Shen-Gong-Wu that had you screw that Clow fellow?" Jack asked.

"Yes. A thousand years in the abyss of Hades would be preferable to getting analled repeatedly by that fag." Wuya shuddered and then paused. "Wonder what happened to the brat that spawned from that horrid day."

"YOU had a kid?!" Jack cried out in surprise.

"I AM a woman, you know," Wuya shot back. "Last I heard was Clow found his kid and named him Li something-or-other. I certainly didn't want the brat. He didn't have nearly enough power to interest me. Wasn't even worth the time to sacrifice him for some ritual."

"Mother of the year, you are not," Jack groused.

Wuya glared. "Oh, shut up."

* * *

Kimiko guided Sakura back to the main courtyard of the Xiaolin temple. "Will you join us?"

"It kind of sounds like fun, but I really can't leave Tomoeda yet," Sakura informed her new friends. "I'm needed there for now. Maybe I can help out after I marry Li Syaoran-kun."

Kimiko blinked. "You're already engaged?"

Sakura smirked. "Not YET." She tapped her chin. "Right. He'll propose this Christmas on top of a Ferris wheel." She then pouted. "Precognition sucks at times. I'll have to pretend to be surprised."

Kimiko could only nod slowly in response.

Raimundo stood off to the side with the rest of the Xiaolin Dragons. "Here I thought we were pretty hot stuff. Then here comes Miss-Mary-Sue-Kick-Your-Ass. We're not even in her league."

Clay adjusted his hat. "At least she's technically on our side. If Wuya ever becomes human again, we could get Sakura's help to put the kibosh on her."

"And probably kiss where ever they fought no more," Omi added.

"That's 'kiss it goodbye,'" Raimundo corrected, wondering why he bothered.

"That too!" Omi grinned sheepishly.

"Well, I better get going before my brother notices I'm gone. He's likely to send death threats to Syaoran-kun thinking I snuck off to Hong Kong... again." Sakura smiled as she waved. Wings then formed on her back before she flew off into the distance at an impressive speed.

"Good news, guys! A new Shen-Gong-Wu!" Dojo announced. He then looked around. "Where's our new Xiaolin Dragon?"

"Flying home." Raimundo thumbed toward the sky. "She can't help us. Not yet anyway. Says it's not her time to leave home."

"Ah. Got to hate precognition." Dojo nodded. "Anyway. It's time to go hunting!"

"Ahem!" An elderly monk made his presence known, his face unusually red. "For this Shen-Gong-Wu, perhaps it would be best if Kimiko remains behind."

"Why is that, Master Fung?" Omi questioned.

"It's a Shen-Gong-Wu that if activated, ahem, well, let's just say it's more of a marital art aid, than a martial art aid," the old monk fidgeted.

Kimiko's eyes crossed at the implication. "You don't mean...."

"It would cause the nearest two people of opposite sex to engage in... unseemly behavior. Neither are in control of their actions. Though accounts had it the guy enjoyed it more than Wuya did. Particularly as she had a child as a result," Master Fung explained.

"Right." Kimiko stepped forward. "I'm going ALONE."

"That would put you at risk to be with a stranger if it accidentally activates," Master Fung warned.

"That's a risk I have to take," Kimiko stated firmly.

"Why don't you take one of us in case something does happen?" Raimundo asked. "Better someone you know and trust...."

Kimiko was in his face. "Right now I'm not sure I CAN trust ANY of you. THAT's the problem. Especially with this."

"Are you sure about that?" Clay questioned.

"Yes!" Kimiko snapped. "Old monks and you three guys, with no other girl for kilometers around? There's no way in hell I'm allowing that thing anywhere near HERE. I'm going to pitch it somewhere that it'll NEVER see the light of day EVER again."

* * *

The sun had set and raised high into the sky twice before Kimiko returned, as promised, empty-handed.

"Welcome back," Clay greeted.

"Why'd it take you so long?" Raimundo questioned.

"Don't. Ask," Kimiko growled in a venomous voice.

A short time later, Dojo followed behind her with the biggest grin imaginable. "I had a GREAT time."

Raimundo and Clay exchanged confused looks, and then chorused, "They couldn't have.... Could they?"

Omi approached his fellow dragons, having overheard everything. "Wonder what the kid would have looked like?"

Raimundo and Clay looked at him in shock.

"What?" Omi questioned. "The scroll refers to Long Dong as a fertility aid. Thankfully we don't have to worry about any babies."

"Oh, SHIT!" Raimundo and Clay cried out.


	5. Weekend Gone Wrong P 2 Curing What Ills

Syaoran blearily opened his eyes and gave a contented smile as he gazed at the girl sleeping in his bed. He was starting to get used to her presence being so close to him. In an odd way, he hoped they would never get better and could share his bed forever.

The boy smirked at his thought. In time, he hoped they would share the same bed on a permanent basis. She was the one he loved the most, and he wanted to hold onto her always. Even if doing so meant having to marry her. He knew he wasn't ready for the kind of responsibility that comes with having a family and wished there was a way he could avoid it. He also knew such wishful thinking wouldn't get him what he truly wanted: Sakura fully promised to him, and him alone.

Syaoran absent-mindedly caressed her cheek. She was so beautifully cute. It was hard keeping his hands to himself, or at least not touching her where he shouldn't. What he wouldn't do to touch her more, to feel her, to see her completely, yet fear kept him from trying. He didn't want to push Sakura away by his need for her, and he didn't want to risk the responsibilities that came with a much closer relationship.

Sakura shifted in her sleep, snuggling closer to Syaoran and causing him to blush as her leg was now pressed against a certain part of his body. He already had a reaction from her presence, and if she were awake, she'd feel it. He moved trying to hide his unbidden thoughts from her. He wasn't sure if he was successful as the girl's eyes opened.

"Good morning," Sakura greeted groggily. "It is morning, now, right?"

Syaoran glanced at the time. "I'd say three o'clock certainly counts as 'morning.'"

Sakura yawned. "We've been sleeping too much, huh?"

"We are sick," Syaoran reminded.

Sakura stuck her tongue out. "How can I forget?

"Do you want to stay here or...?" Syaoran wondered.

Sakura smiled. "There's no other place I want to be."

Syaoran kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you."

Tears began to leak from Sakura's eyes, pulling the boy into a hug. "I love you, too!"

In the next room, Meiling covered her head with a pillow having heard Sakura's half-shout. "If I hear that bed creaking, I'll scream." She was quite thankful only the muffled sounds of talking followed. She really hated the paper-thin walls the Japanese used in their homes and apartments.

* * *

**Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 5: Sakura and the Weekend Gone Wrong - Part 2: Curing What Ills**

_By: Lord Archive_

Author's Warnings:

In accordance to movie rating system this series would be rated PG-13, and as for television would rate TV M for mature audience, but would be viewable with no edits save for some incidents of vulgar language. Due to subjective nature of the ratings, for FFnet this series has been labeled with R rating for those who have poor views of some of the subject matter contained within.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Rika bowed deeply. "I can't thank you enough for watching after my brother today."

Touya shrugged, while wearing a vending uniform for the park. "I already had a part-time job for the place, so it's no trouble."

"How can I repay you?" Rika offered.

"Just keep an eye on Sakura. She needs all the help she can get," Touya answered.

Rika nodded. "I don't know how much help I could be, but I'll try."

Touya then leaned closer to the girl. "And don't go rushing into motherhood. You'll only be hurting yourself and those you love the most if you do."

Rika blinked and took a step back. "Do you... have magic too?"

Touya folded his arms. "Enough to see what I don't want to. And if you rush things, your beloved will be taken from you."

Rika clutched at her chest. "You don't know how hard that would be."

"Life is hard, rushing into it would be unbearable," Touya advised. "And love isn't about lust. That's just a minor expression of it."

Rika whirled around. "I need to go. I'll be back after the game." She then ran away.

Kokkou rushed up to the young man. "Where's Neechan going?"

"She's needed somewhere else. I'll be watching after you," Touya answered.

Kokkou folded his arms. "Neechan will get in trouble."

Touya gave a short laugh. "More trouble than you can imagine."

* * *

Sakura rummaged around the kitchen. "Meiling-chan, where do you keep your honey?"

"Don't have any," Meiling replied, half-tempted to punch Kero-chan while he was beating her by a large margin in a video game.

Sakura pouted. "But I need to make my cure!"

"Cure?" Meiling wondered.

"Your wish has been answered," Kero-chan chirped.

A knock on the door drew the attention of the girls, while Kero-chan didn't budge. Meiling gave up on her game, walked over and opened the door. She frowned at the man standing there. "It is for you."

Yukito walked into the apartment. "Are you feeling better?"

Sakura shook her head. "I'd be better if I had some... HONEY!" She leapt across the room and snatched the jar Yukito was holding out. "Thank you!" She quickly poured some milk into a pot and added some of the honey to it.

"What's the deal with this?" Meiling wondered.

"It's a family recipe," Yukito replied. "When Sakura got sick when she was little, her mother had made her warm milk with honey. Toya took up that task after their mother passed away. And now Sakura-chan has been making it for herself and Li-kun."

"Ah, so that's the story," Syaoran groused as he shambled into the room.

"She made it for you before?" Meiling asked.

Syaoran nodded. "It was while she was changing the cards. I came down with the flu and she stopped by to help."

Meiling shook her head. How the two didn't know they were in love then still eluded her with all the minor touches of affection they had shown.

* * *

Chiharu was now regretting the odd wish he had made to Sakura. Having switched bodies with Takashi, _he_ was finding that things were far different than he expected. He had thought boys had everything far easier than girls did and this switch was to prove that point. It didn't help matters that Chiharu didn't know when he could return to being a girl thanks to Sakura's illness. However, regrets weren't going to fill his empty stomach as he ransacked the refrigerator at the Mihara home.

Takashi smirked and remarked with knowing sarcasm, "I take it Dad wasn't pleased with the score."

"That's putting it mildly. If I got that grade, Mom would be proud of me but your Dad wants too much," Chiharu groused.

"Does he?" Takashi asked. "You know why I have to perform well. I don't have just myself to think about."

Chiharu sagged. "I know you have to think about me as well and any kids we might have. But what's the point of being first if studying takes away the time you can be with your family?"

Takashi laughed. "That's the great irony of our age. To do well financially means to devote all your time to work, at the cost of the family you are trying to support. It has long since been the age of man going out hunting and the women cooking and gathering fruits and berries, when people had time to share with each other. The more we say life has gotten easier, we find that our time is taken away."

Chiharu shook her head. "I wish that was one of your tall tales."

"But it's not," Takashi affirmed. "And speaking of time, why haven't you spent any with your father?"

Chiharu stiffened. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to watch him die?"

Takashi glared at him. "Yes."

Chiharu flinched as if slapped. "I'm sorry... I forgot about your sister."

"I never gave up on her. I wanted neechan to stay with us. I went to her hospital room everyday I could with another story for her. It wasn't enough, but at least I spent that time with her!" Takashi almost shouted.

"I know that. It's just... I don't want to remember Dad any other way than the strong man who tossed me up into the air, not the frail man _I_ could toss in the air." Takashi turned around. "It hurts to see him in pain. I don't want to see him like this."

Takashi grabbed the temporary boy by the shoulder. "And you think I wanted to see my sister after a fucking idiot ran her over with his truck? I could barely recognize her face. It's hard, I know it is. But there is something far harder than not seeing your father."

"What's could possibly be harder?" Chiharu spat.

"Regretting you didn't spend more time with him when you had the chance," Takashi said in a deadly serious voice. "He wants to see you, Chiharu. He wants to spend time with you. Because of your avoidance he saw straight through the switch."

Chiharu stared at her in surprised. "Dad knows you're not me?"

Takashi nodded. "Didn't take him a minute to realize it since I didn't just take care of his needs but actually TALKED to him. Chiharu, that's all you have to do, talk to him."

"I can't face him!" Chiharu protested.

Takashi poked him in the chest. "Yes, you can. It's easy once you start. I had a lot of fun talking to him last night. It's great having a captive audience for my stories."

"I can't do it!" Chiharu yelled before running out of the home.

Takashi shook her head and put the food back into the refrigerator. She knew well what the regret of not spending time with a loved one could do. Her mother avoided going to the hospital, always saying that the doctors would bring her daughter back whole and healthy. The depression that followed was almost suicidally bad.

* * *

Sakura pouted at her best friend. "You don't have to stay with us."

"It's no problem at all," Tomoyo assured her.

"We're not invalids. We can take care of ourselves," Syaoran muttered.

"I know that. But does it hurt to have a helping hand when you can't do everything you'd like?" Tomoyo returned with seeming innocence.

Syaoran folded his arms. "Whatever."

Sakura smirked tiredly. "He is a bit of a grouch when sick."

Tomoyo giggled. "I noticed. Sakura-chan, why don't you try and wash away those germs away with a shower? I'll keep Li-kun company."

Sakura swayed to the left and the right as if debated the suggestion. "A shower does sound good, I guess." She turned around to fetch some clothes she left in Syaoran's room.

Tomoyo sat silently watching Syaoran as her best friend prepared to take a shower. She smiled knowingly as he seemed to follow his girlfriend's movements with his eyes despite walls separating them. She didn't miss the look in his eyes as the bathing room door shut and the shower turned on. She had made sure Kero-chan was sufficiently distracted in another room.

Tomoyo cleared her throat. "Li-kun?"

Syaoran blinked and looked at her. "Yeah, Daidouji?"

"There's been something I've been meaning to ask you, and I'd like an honest answer to it," Tomoyo assert with a smirk.

The boy sighed. "What is it?"

Staring straight into his eyes, Tomoyo asked, "Do you have an idea who is challenging Sakura-chan?"

Syaoran turned away. "Not that we can confirm."

"But you DO have some idea who might be behind it," Tomoyo pressed.

"None that I can say," Syaoran insisted.

Tomoyo got up from where she had been sitting and advanced toward the boy. "The one behind the attacks is related to the Li clan, am I right?"

"Daidouji..." Syaoran growled.

Tomoyo closed her eyes. "I see. And why haven't you told Sakura-chan anything?"

The only reply was Syaoran's glaring eyes.

"You can't tell me you aren't telling her because she's not family YET, are you? You plan to marry her someday, right? Why not tell her something this important?" Tomoyo's harsh and commanding eyes showed just how much she was her mother's daughter.

"Because we don't know!" Syaoran barked. "We have no proof and we have no motive. Without those saying anything is premature. All we know is the person mother thinks is responsible is missing."

"That sounds overly convenient." Tomoyo crossed her arms. "And is there any reason to suspect anyone else?"

"Do you have any idea how many mages exist out there? And any magic-user stupid enough to challenge Sakura head-on would face absolute defeat. Whoever is after her is fighting her intelligently, by challenging her indirectly. Finding her strengths and weaknesses without exposing themselves. We can't even be sure this is the work of one person. After all, each attack has been different, and as crime stories love to point out-- criminals repeat the way they commit their crimes. And that's assuming this isn't another test like the ones Clow gave her. This might even be a higher power deciding if she is worthy for something. The simple fact is we don't know anything until we can find some proof to eliminate or confirm any of these possibilities," Syaoran finished stubbornly.

Tomoyo poked the boy's chest. "You can at least tell her that. Syaoran, she relies on you and trusts you. If she finds out you've been holding something this important from her, you will have betrayed her. I don't expect you to tell me exactly who it is your mother suspects, but if your love for Sakura-chan means anything-- YOU WILL TELL HER!"

"What's going on out here?" Sakura asked, wearing Syaoran's bathrobe while drying her hair.

"It's nothing," Syaoran muttered quickly.

Tomoyo cast a quick glare at him. "Just a little discussion. Nothing to worry about for now."

Sakura blinked. "For now?"

* * *

Touya shook his head as his apprehension over watching Rika's little brother proved true. He watched as Mrs. Sasaki took a seat on the bleachers. The woman smiled as she watched her son pick grass in the outfield. It wasn't until the end of the inning that she looked around to try to find Rika.

"You're losing her at this rate," Touya told her.

Mrs. Sasaki blinked in confusion. "Huh? Oh, I don't want anything."

Touya folded his arms. "You don't remember me, Auntie Sasaki?"

Mrs. Sasaki stared at the young man for a moment. "Touya-chan? Is that you?"

Touya flushed at the honorific. "Yes, Auntie."

"My, you sure have grown. I guess it has been a long time since the 'baby-sat club,' as my husband liked to call it when I would watch after you, Sakura-chan, Naoko-chan and Chiharu-chan," Mrs. Sasaki remembered fondly. "Do you know where my daughter is?"

"Where she had been committed to be today months ago," Touya replied. "I volunteered to watch after her brother for her."

Mrs. Sasaki scowled. "I told her she had to watch Kokkou-chan today."

"And you told her that yesterday, when the entire school asked her to perform at a concert before school even started for the year," Touya pointed out as neutrally as he could.

"They could've found a replacement," Mrs. Sasaki asserted.

"For a concert focusing on the piano with no notice?" Touya shook his head. "If she didn't go, the entire band and the audience would've been left angry and disappointed as the performance couldn't go on without her. _I_ am the usable replacement for this situation."

Mrs. Sasaki huffed. "She needs to think of her family first."

Touya shook his head. "Excuse me for saying this, Auntie, but she's only following your lead."

"What do you mean by that?" Mrs. Sasaki questioned.

"Does she have a boyfriend? What were the grades she received for the last school year? What does she want to do with her life?" Touya asked with a sharp edge.

"She's only fourteen. She not old enough to have a boyfriend or plan out her future," Mrs. Sasaki replied.

Touya didn't reply, only gave her an even look.

"What? Are you saying she knows what she wants to do with her life?" Mrs. Sasaki wondered.

"She's been dating the same person for four years now and dreams of being his housewife. As such being ninety-first out of one-hundred-sixty-two students didn't bother her," Touya gave her the answer.

"What? That's not possible," Mrs. Sasaki protested. "I know my little girl."

"Do you? Or have you ignored her completely in favor of him?" Touya pointed at Kokkou. "I suppose you didn't hear her when she told you she was attending her best friend's wedding reception."

"Sakura-chan is married?!" Mrs. Sasaki cried out.

Touya slapped his forehead. "Mihara married Yamazaki."

"I thought Sakura-chan was Rika-chan's best friend," Mrs. Sasaki admitted. "And why would those two be married?"

"Mihara's father is expected to die any time now. As for Sakura, she's been best friends with Tomoyo-chan since third grade," Touya corrected bitterly.

Mrs. Sasaki frowned. "That's sad to hear. And who is Tomoyo-chan?"

Touya wanted to pound his head into a wall. "A friend of Rika's since third grade and the daughter of my mother's cousin, Daidouji Sonomi."

Mrs. Sasaki stared vacantly. "Rika-chan really needs to talk to me."

"You need to listen," Touya advised harshly. "She has been trying to tell you, but your attention has been on your son, not her. If you don't start trying to pay attention to her, you're going to lose her."

Mrs. Sasaki turned away from him. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know more than I want to. Just don't push her any farther away from you. At the rate she's going, she might not even finish this year of school, which will hurt everyone, herself especially," Touya warned. "If she runs from your house tonight, you will have lost her."

Mrs. Sasaki could only stare at the young man.

* * *

Meiling found refuge at the park. Just off the beaten path she danced and spun her way through a martial arts kata. Here, at least, she could find her peace. She didn't have to listen to Kero-chan challenge her to yet another game. She didn't have to hear Syaoran gripe about being sick. She didn't have to see Kinomoto and Syaoran being so close and lovely dovey that it'd cause cavities.

Her fists attacked the air as if they were attacking Meiling's thought. She wanted to put away her feelings for her cousin. She knew he loved Kinomoto, and that the girl loved him. She had accepted that, yet it still hurt her to see them so close. She wanted Syaoran for herself, and seeing him with another girl still made her upset.

"You wouldn't happen to be the 'Park Destroyer,' would you?"

Meiling stumbled as she was pulled from her thoughts. "Huh? 'Park Destroyer?'"

A teenage boy a couple years older than Meiling cross his arms. "'Park Destroyer' is the name that's been given to the girl who challenged and beat martial arts masters at this park a few years ago. She's become a bit of an urban legend."

Meiling laughed. "Afraid not. I did give her a run for her money, but I got too confident."

The guy eyed her closely. "Oh, really?"

"Well, I'd like to think that, any way. I got some good shots into her while she was testing me out." Meiling smiled ruefully. "That was the trick to beating her, and I missed my chance. If you don't take her down in the first thirty seconds, she will have taken your measure and will beat you senseless."

"She was defeated?" the guy asked.

Meiling nodded. "While she was using me as a punching bag, a friend of mine managed to brain her with a heavy bar."

The guy laughed. "I'll have to tell sensei that the girl who beat him was beaten by a pair of girls."

"Two girls and a guy, though Syaoran did more to keep me from harm than hurt the 'Park Destroyer,'" Meiling corrected.

"My name is Kanzaki Shiro. Would you care to spar?" the guy questioned.

"I'm Li Meiling and I accept your challenge." She moved to the ready position.

* * *

Rika nervously entered her home. She learned from Touya that her mother had showed up at the baseball game and took Kokkou home. There was no use hiding herself. "I'm home."

"You gonna be in trouble!" Kokkou cheered from where he was playing his video games.

Rika frowned, but suspected he was right about that. There was no greeting from her mother, not that she ever expected to hear one. She made her way to the kitchen and saw that her mother was a bit subdued.

"How was your concert?" Mrs. Sasaki questioned.

Rika flinched. "It went well."

"Thank you for at least making sure Kokkou would be safe," Mrs. Sasaki seemed to force herself to say.

Rika stared in surprise. "You're welcome."

"Dinner will be in an hour," Mrs. Sasaki mentioned.

"Okay." Rika nodded slowly and drifted away from the kitchen.

Mrs. Sasaki almost asked Rika to make dinner with her, but couldn't find the words. She couldn't help but fear an argument would result, as they had so many times in the recent past.

* * *

Chiharu nervously peeked into his father's room. He frowned at the sight of the frail man. That Takashi was also in the room didn't help matters.

"Come on in," Takashi encouraged.

"Yes, come in boy. I always wanted a son," Mr. Mihara rasped out with a smirk.

Chiharu's pout looked strange on a boy. "Hi... Dad."

"Takashi-chan has been telling me all sorts of wonderful stories," Mr. Mihara praised.

Chiharu nodded. She then looked at the girl. "Takashi, could you leave us alone for a moment."

"Of course, Dear." Takashi moved to leave the room, but not before whispering to the boy, "I'm locking you in here."

Chiharu whirled around, but it was too late to stop the laughing girl. "Takashi..."

"Is there something you wanted to say?" Mr. Mihara wondered.

Chiharu didn't immediately reply. His gaze remained on the door. "I don't know what to say."

"Well, how does it feel to be a boy now?" Mr. Mihara prompted.

"Not having a period is certainly a plus." Chiharu laughed hollowly. "I just didn't know how much pressure Takashi was under to perform."

"He's that bad in bed?" Mr. Mihara joked.

"DAD?!" Chiharu screeched.

Mr. Mihara let out a laugh that turned to a coughing fit. "Just joking with you. My, you really are Chiharu."

"It was a foolish request I made that did this." Chiharu motioned toward his borrowed body.

Mr. Mihara shook his head. "I don't think it's so foolish. You get a chance to walk in your husband's shoes. You will understand him far better than I ever understood my wife."

Chiharu frowned and looked as far away from his father that he could.

"Chiharu-chan... Do you blame me?" Mr. Mihara asked.

The boy turned around and stared at the frail man.

Mr. Mihara shut his eyes. "I see. You do blame me."

Chiharu fidgeted. "Dad... I... I know you didn't ask for this."

"And you didn't ask to be married... You weren't even asked if you wanted to be married," Mr. Mihara surmised.

Chiharu looked down at his feet. "I... I was asked by Takashi. I do love him."

"But you weren't ready, were you?" Mr. Mihara pressed.

Chiharu reluctantly nodded. "It wasn't easy, especially in the beginning."

Mr. Mihara couldn't look at the boy. "Dear... are you comfortable having sex?"

Chiharu's silence said more than words could have.

"I'm sorry, Chiharu. I'm so sorry that I ended up forcing you into this," Mr. Mihara apologized.

"You couldn't help it. It was just all too soon for me. I would've liked to have waited, but I didn't have a choice. None of us really did." Chiharu clenched his fists. Ever since the argument this morning with Takashi, there had been only one thing he had wanted to say to his father in case he died soon. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too. Be good to your wife." Mr. Mihara let out another coughing laugh.

Chiharu slowly walked out of the room, finding the door unlocked. Takashi stood next to the door, staring at her feet.

"I'm sorry, too, Chiharu. I thought... I... I'm sorry." The girl then ran off to the bedroom.

Chiharu followed after. "I don't blame you. It was an unavoidable situation."

"Why didn't you tell me you didn't like having sex?" Takashi demanded. "I thought we were making love."

Chiharu sighed. "At times we were."

"And the other times?" Takashi pressed.

"It... it felt like you were using me to masturbate," Chiharu admitted.

Takashi flinched. "You can say 'no.' I'd understand."

"I never wanted to hurt you. I was afraid stopping you would do that," Chiharu explained.

"That isn't the way love should work. You shouldn't be letting me hurt you just so I could feel some pleasure," Takashi asserted.

Chiharu gave a shallow smile. "That is love, Dear. Putting the one you love before yourself. I don't want to hurt you any more than you want to hurt me, but we let ourselves be hurt for each other."

"Kiss me," Takashi requested.

Chiharu blinked. "Huh?"

"Before I get sane again, kiss me," Takashi pleaded.

Chiharu looked puzzled at the request, but moved closer and kissed the girl. Their arms soon snaked around each other's bodies, and gravity pulled them towards the bed.

* * *

Meiling stormed into her apartment and plopped down onto her couch with a huff. She then glared at Kero-chan. "Are you STILL playing video games?!"

Sakura yawned as she shambled into the room. "He is ALWAYS playing video games."

"What else am I supposed to do? Go for a walk?" Kero-chan returned.

Sakura shrugged. "He does have a point. I gave up arguing over the games a long time ago."

"Stupid plushy," Meiling spat.

"Something wrong, Wench?" Kero-chan shot back.

Meiling turned away. "I think I screwed up."

Sakura blinked. "What do you mean?"

Meiling glared at her. "I met a boy at the park. He saw me practicing martial arts and asked if I was the 'Park Destroyer.'"

"'Park Destroyer?'" Sakura questioned.

"Apparently The Fight card beating up martial arts masters has become a bit of an urban legend around here. The students want a crack at her to prove themselves and help redeem their masters," Meiling explained irritably.

"Like that's going to happen," Kero-chan groused.

"I see. Did you let him know about my magic?" Sakura wondered.

"No, that wasn't the problem. I functionally told him you brained her with a lead pipe. The problem was that he challenged me to a fight," Meiling muttered.

Sakura blinked in surprise. "You lost?"

Meiling gave out a harsh laugh. "I kicked his ass, and THAT is the problem."

"Why is that a problem?" Sakura wondered in confusion.

"I think he might've liked me or something. Maybe if I had lost, made it a draw or just barely beat him he would've asked me on a date. Instead he ran off without even a 'thank you' for the match," Meiling grumbled.

"Heh. Serves you right. You never hurt a guy's pride. That's the best way to push him away," Kero-chan pointed out smugly.

"Shut it, plush toy," Meiling spat.

Sakura sighed. She doubted Meiling could swallow her own pride enough to allow any boy, besides Syaoran, to beat her in a competition.

* * *

"That was decidedly weird," Takashi commented, buried underneath the blankets.

"Certainly was. I thought that'd feel more... narcissistic," Chiharu commented.

"But you knew that I'm me," Takashi pointed out.

Chiharu nodded. "You are my husband, not me. Even if you have my face for the moment."

Takashi buried her face into his chest. "It was kind of like we lost our virginity for a second time."

"Were you... uncomfortable?" Chiharu asked.

"A little. I felt a bit... powerless, I guess. Is that how you feel?" Takashi wondered.

"Either that or nothing at all." Chiharu sighed. "Maybe it's a girl thing. I felt more in control as a boy, though there seemed to be something... I don't know less or missing."

"You feel more as a girl," Takashi offered. "Good and bad, you feel more of both."

"I guess so." Chiharu then smirked. "It's a good thing we just had a period."

"Don't remind me," Takashi groused. "My stomach is still cramping a little."

"It's just that there's little chance that _I_ just got _you_ pregnant." Chiharu poked the girl to emphasis the point.

"That would be too weird to tell the kid later," Takashi mused.

Chiharu giggled. "No kidding."

"I'm sorry," Takashi suddenly apologized.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Chiharu asserted.

"How many times did I force you into having sex when you didn't want to?" Takashi then glared at him. "Answer me honestly."

Chiharu looked away. "You don't want an honest answer."

"Then I have everything to be sorry about. I should be stuck as a girl for the pain I put you through," Takashi convicted herself.

"No way in Hell would I let that happen. You can have your body. I don't want to spend my days working my ass off for nothing," Chiharu returned.

"You are not 'nothing,'" Takashi returned.

"It is when you might end up too busy to be with me to enjoy what you've done." Chiharu pouted. "I guess that's why so many people have affairs. They can't do it with the one they want to be with."

"Now don't go thinking I won't make time for you and our children. I won't let work take over my life. If it ever does, smack me. You have to come first," Takashi asserted.

"Promises. We make lots of them, but sometimes reality won't let us keep them," Chiharu replied somberly.

Takashi pushed Chiharu onto his back and proceeded to straddle him. "I swear to you I'll keep my promise. I love you, Chiharu. Being married would mean nothing if you weren't by my side. All I want is for us to work together on making a good future for us. I have no plans on sacrificing my life just to support you."

Chiharu laughed. "Then it's a good thing that I already expect that I'll be working part-time jobs. To cover expenses that you might fall short of."

Takashi frowned. "I hope it never comes to that. But I'd rather that happen than only seeing you when you're asleep."

"Sakura had better get well soon. I want to be a girl again. I don't want to wait until Monday," Chiharu whined.

"That's two days away," Takashi agreed. "Hopefully Kinomoto is felling better tomorrow."

Chiharu nodded. "We can check in on her and ask if she can undo this."

* * *

"Really, I'm feeling fine," Sakura insisted as she stood at the hallway.

Syaoran folded his arms. "You're not standing up straight."

Sakura tried to stiffen her posture, but was still swaying a bit.

Syaoran walked up to her and put his forehead to hers. "You're still too warm. Take another day to recover."

"But..." Sakura tried to persist, but was silenced with his finger on her lips.

"You exerted yourself too much yesterday when you switched Yamazaki back," Syaoran retorted. "Don't make yourself worse by pushing yourself more than you need to."

Meiling bolted out of her room and dove for the toilet. She then began to wretch her last meal away.

Syaoran grimaced. "You can keep Meiling company."

Sakura reluctantly nodded. "That seems worse than we were all weekend."

"Oh, no. I'm am not staying here with her and that plushy," Meiling vowed weakly.

Syaoran didn't even bother to argue with her. He went to the phone and called the school. He was surprised when the line was busy. He dialed the number two more times before it finally connected. "Hello..." He blinked. "Ah, yes... I see. Thank you." He hung up the phone.

"Weren't you calling in for Meiling-chan?" Sakura wondered.

Syaoran nodded. "School has been canceled for flu epidemic."

"Huh? The flu closed the school?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"If too many teachers and students are sick, you can't run the school," Syaoran told her.

Sakura shrugged. "I guess I have no choice but to stay."

Syaoran smiled. A day with Sakura and now he felt healthy enough to fully enjoy it.

Meiling walked pass them with the bathroom trashcan. "Fine. If there's no school then I'm going back to bed. Good night."

* * *

Author's Notes:

Chapter 6: Reiko may be the captain of the cheerleading squad, but she has been jealous of Sakura before. After spending a day with the girl working on a new cheer she finds she has a lot more to be envious about.

This scene takes place before the infamous bird incident, and the story mentioned is told in full in Sakura's Christmas Surprise:

* * *

Little Meiling was giddy with excitement. She had never been to an amusement park before. All the rides and food and sweets. It truly was Christmas to her with such a huge place to play in.

Meiling glanced at her sourpuss of a cousin and wondered how anyone could not be happy being at such a fun place. All he did was grunt like some pig. He was no fun at all! Not that his mother was any better, all stone-faced and ordering everyone around like they were all her servants. Even her parents!

"I'm going to the funhouse," Fanren groused. The unfocused eyes of the almost-teenager wouldn't look at anyone.

"We'll all be going there shortly," Yelan informed in a flat voice.

"Fine," Fanren muttered.

Meiling tugged at her father's pant legs. "Why they not happy?"

The little girl's father bent down and whispered to her, "Dear, I told you before that Syaoran's father has died. He has left them."

"Won't he come back?" Meiling wondered.

He sighed with mixed emotions. "Dear, once you go to be with your ancestors, you can't come back. Syaoran and his sisters miss their father."

"Oh." Meiling's grip on her father's pant-leg tightened. "You're not going to leave, are you?"

"No, Dear. I'm not going anywhere if I can help it." He ruffled her hair. "Please don't talk to much about it, though. That would be like picking at a wound for them."

Meiling nodded. Leaving was sad and she had no intention of talking about things that weren't fun in a place like this.

"If you're done, I'd like to get this over with," Yelan stated coldly.

Meiling found herself picked up by her father and heard him say, "I'll protect you from the spooky house."

The little girl wasn't sure what he meant by that, but she was eager to go on all the rides this place had to offer.

Syaoran's mother began to recite a story about some other girl named Meiling. The little girl didn't understand much of what she was being told, but it was tearing up Syaoran's sisters and her father. Why did they insist on being sad?

Deep within the twists and turns of the house, the story came to a dramatic end. Meiling's eyes were the only ones to not focus on a single spot in the room.

"Who are you?" Syaoran asked.

That was the most little Meiling heard him say all day. She looked around questioningly. "Who you talking to?"

"Don't you see anything?" her father questioned.

Meiling shook her head, and then frown as everyone looked at her. "What?"

"You don't see the ghost?" Fanren asked.

"Ghost? Where? Where?" Meiling glanced around wildly. Her gaze then followed where Syaoran was now pointing to. She huffed after a moment. "There's no ghost!"

"I see. We can forgo the additional training for you." Yelan then gazed at her son. "Tell me, how does she appear?"

Syaoran shrugged and pointed at his cousin. "Kinda like her, but older. Maybe ten."

Fuutie walked across the room. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Syaoran looked puzzled. "How can I tell? I can't see through her."

"Stop joking," Meiling growled. "Three fingers!"

"You will do us proud, my son," Yelan praised stoically.

Syaoran merely nodded.

"What's this for?" Meiling asked.

"This was just a little test, Dear." Her father couldn't look at the girl. "Just a little test."


	6. Outside of Sakura's World

"Hey, Yanagisawa!" Asaba cried out.

The bespectacled girl turned toward him. "Is there something you want?"

"I was wondering if you could introduce me to Konagi-sama?" Asaba admitted.

"Oh, so you believe I know Konagi now?" Naoko asked in a haughty tone.

Asaba waved his arms wildly. "Are you kidding? Not only did she use the tavern brawl idea I gave you, she used my role-playing character to start it! She even went as far as ripping to shreds why he'd never be Black Wolf! I've got to meet her!"

"Konagi is a very private woman." Naoko smirked at him, giving the boy the impression she knew more than she said.

"I won't annoy her! I promise I'll be good!" Asaba pledged.

Naoko looked at him evenly. "Some how I seriously- MRPH!" The girl's eyes went wide in shock as she was violently grabbed from behind.

"What the hell are you doing, Satome?" Asaba demanded.

"Just going to 'talk' with her. Nothing that concerns you," Satome spat.

"Go on and run along," one of Satome's buddies ordered in an evil tone.

"I ned to consu meself," another one added, with the bandages wrapped around his face obviously hampering his speech.

Asaba didn't budge. He knew all-to-well the reputation these boys had, particularly Satome's. No girl would willingly go out with Satome after he 'dated' a girl from the grade below them. She had been a lively girl before but she never talked about what happened with the thug, or anything else since then. There was another girl who got into an argument with Satome, and she didn't come to class the next day and was soon transferred from the school. Whatever these boys planned for Naoko, they likely didn't have her continued health in mind.

The boy's indecision was ended in pain as he was slammed up against a fence wall.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll run away now," the thug snarled.

"I won't let you hurt her," Asaba weakly vowed. He was answered with laughter and a punch to the stomach. "You can't get away with hurting her."

Satome chuckled coldly. "And how will I get in trouble? Will the school slap my hand again? We can't be expelled for any wrongdoing. Only one at risk of that is her, if she ends up pregnant."

Naoko's struggles intensified, but the restraining arms didn't budge.

"And it's not like his mother will prosecute her own son," the thug that was now painfully holding Asaba added.

Satome nodded with a strange look on his face. "Mom would smack me around before sending me to jail."

Asaba wondered if that was fear on Satome's face, but dismissed that as the bastard seemed to fear nothing, even teachers and police. "I won't let you get away with it."

"We can always remove witnesses," the thug holding Asaba insinuated before kneeing his captive in the groin.

Asaba let out a high pitch squeal of pain, though only his attacker laughed.

"Here I thought I heard a girl screaming."

Asaba turned to look at the Chinese girl that transferred into his class. He wanted to warn her, but he was still gripped with pain. He crumpled to the ground as the boy holding him let go. He soon found Naoko's hands touching him. "Run," he managed to moan out.

Naoko smirked sadly. "There's no need to. Meiling-chan has it taken care of, and Li-kun can't be far behind her."

As if to prove her point, there was the sound of air being knocked from a person's body next to him. Asaba looked up to see the bandaged-faced thug had been slammed up against the wall. He noticed while there was fresh blood on the white wrappings. The splash line suggested it was not from him.

"You still feel like getting some 'Chinese?'" Meiling questioned in a tone that seemed to be more evil than what the thugs had used before.

The bandaged thug shook his head furiously.

Meiling's, Asaba's, and Naoko's attention was drawn to the boy's pants as it changed color from becoming suddenly wet.

"Wuss," Meiling spat, letting go of the boy, who immediately collapsed to the ground.

Asaba finally had enough strength to look around and was surprised to see that both Satome and the thug that kneed him were lying on the ground, moaning in pain.

"What happened?" the Chinese girl's cousin asked as he arrived.

"Apparently shit-for-brains decided to hurt Yanagisawa to get back at us." Meiling indicated just who she meant by kicking Satome's prone form in the gut so hard that he vomited.

Syaoran shook his head before walking up to Satome. He grabbed the thug by the hair and hissed out, "New threat. If I find out you hurt Sakura or any of her friends, you will die slowly and they still won't find your body." He then slammed Satome's face into the vomit.

"He needs help. One of them kneed him where it hurts," Naoko told them.

Syaoran frowned. "Can you move?"

"Don't want to," Asaba groaned out.

"This is going to look wrong," Syaoran muttered, before he picked the boy up in a fireman's cradle.

"Can't I at least do this piggy back?" Asaba whined.

"If you don't care to have kids later," Syaoran returned.

Asaba said nothing more as he was carried all the way to school. There were murmurs of surprise of the already arrived students as they passed the courtyard and went into the school and headed straight for the nurse's station.

"What happened here?" the nurse questioned with concern.

Naoko had followed behind them. "He was attacked by Satome and two of his thugs for trying to protect me. One of them... well, kneed him... HARD."

The nurse frowned at the girl's statement, not just for the reported misbehavior. She lead Syaoran to place Asaba onto one of the beds and then ushered the Chinese boy and the others out of the way before drawing the privacy curtain closed.

Asaba didn't really mind having the attractive nurse check his injury, even when the attention was hurting him.

It wasn't long before a teacher arrived and demanded to hear what happened.

"Satome and two of his thugs grabbed and threatened to hurt me. Asaba went to defend me..." Naoko began. "And he put up a good fight even after they hit him first. He knocked down the last one at the same time the thug kicked him where it hurts."

Asaba smirked at the account. He could hardly be held responsible for fighting in such a situation, and he was 'guilty' up to that point anyway. And he didn't want it to get out that while he was pathetically defenseless against just one of Satome's goons, a lone girl kicked all of their asses.

"And how did you get involved in this, Li-kun?" the teacher demanded.

"I only got there after they had been beaten up. When I found out he was injured, I took him here," Syaoran replied.

"And you?" the teacher pressed.

"I was walking to school with Syaoran," Meiling answered flippantly.

"Where are Satome and his friends?" the teacher almost barked.

"We left them two blocks away on Nadeshiko lane," Naoko explained.

The teacher's head poked into the privacy curtain and scowled. "Who did this to you?"

"One of Satome's buddies. The one without the bandages." Asaba really hated the position he was in, and the view the male teacher was seeing.

"That doesn't exactly narrow it down," the teacher growled.

"There was only two with him this time," Asaba returned. He now wished he had at least learned the names of Satome's gang. He had been thankful to stay in a different class than them and meant to keep his distance for as long as possible.

* * *

**Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 6: Outside of Sakura's World**

**_By: Lord Archive_**

Author's Warnings:

In accordance to movie rating system this series would be rated PG-13, and as for television would rate TV M for mature audience, but would be viewable with no edits save for some incidents of vulgar language. Due to subjective nature of the ratings, for FFnet this series has been labeled for mature readers for those who have poor views of some of the subject matter contained within.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Reiko sighed as the school came to an end and the cliques immediately formed. The geek squad immediately set up some stupid game, the jocks compared egos, and the most popular students chatted about mindless nothingness. If Li Syaoran and Yamazaki Takashi weren't included in said group because of their relationship with two of the girls, that group of most popular students would then be the most popular girls that all the boys wanted to date.

Reiko had heard claims that cliques don't exist, but they were either deluded or blind. She had so wanted to be one of the popular girls and had done just about everything to get boys to pay attention to her.

Even with Sakura's small chest, all the girl had to do was her happy bounce walk and gain the attention of every boy. And Sakura didn't give boys any attention beyond Li Syaoran. Tomoyo was the picture of elegance and had more money than the gods, yet she had shown no interest in boys. Rika had some mysterious older boyfriend, and rejected any advances. 'Yamazaki-chan' Chiharu was more than taken, which somehow garnered her more interest. If Naoko didn't help the others with their schoolwork, Reiko doubted she would be part of the group. Li Meiling was becoming popular with the boys, but had yet to have anyone approach her as the boys seemed a bit frightened of her. Yet, with the exception of Naoko and Meiling, somehow turning away boys made them more desirable, while she had been ignored until she had given some of the jocks 'attention.'

As the Li cousins and Naoko left the classroom, Sakura suddenly bounced towards her. "Hi, Reiko-chan. Are you ready to work on that new cheer for the festival?"

Reiko wanted to groan at the empty-headed girl, but shrugged instead. "I'm ready. But isn't Meiling-san supposed to work with us?"

Sakura frowned. "Meiling-chan will meet up with us after she talks to the school disciplinarian."

Reiko blinked. "Why does she have to talk with him?"

Sakura looked away. "Something to do with Satome-san."

There was really nothing more that needed to be said. Satome headed another clique, one she was quite happy to have nothing to do with. She wondered what the gang had to do with Meiling, but really didn't want to know. Instead of inquiring more about that, Reiko asked, "Can she find my house?"

"Meiling-chan has the student directory and your house is just a bit further down the road from her apartment," Sakura assured her.

Reiko shrugged, kind of hoping Meiling would get lost and wouldn't be surprised if the foreign girl couldn't find her way through the city.

* * *

Batsu Teikei did not relish his role as being school disciplinarian. He had gone to this school with the intent of being a teacher first and foremost. The so-called promotion had come from his attention to student behavior and making sure they acted accordingly while in school. While he did not have Li Syaoran or his cousin in any of his classes, he certainly knew who they were.

Li and, to a lesser extent, his cousin were present at Tomoeda Elementary during the worst of the string of vandalization. While a few of the incidents predated Syaoran's arrival, most notably the stacked desks event, he was around when the elementary school's piano was roughly dragged through the school and tossed off the roof, during the mass escape of animals at the zoo, and other damaging events both on and off school grounds.

No one could find proof as to who was responsible, but among the other leading suspects were Daidouji Tomoyo and Kinomoto Sakura, the latter of the two was reportedly dating Li Syaoran then and now. It seemed to be no coincidence that when monetary damage was involved, the Daidouji family quickly donated more money than the damage incurred to the school. Daidouji seemed like a saint during school hours, but he had to wonder how much of that was a false face to cover a spoiled and bored rich girl. That she was either the one leading the vandalism at the time or merely helped to encourage Kinomoto and later Li and his cousin to commit such acts.

Thankfully the middle school had yet to experience any vandalism, but he was not sure how much longer that would last. He had caught Li Syaoran fighting in the hallway already, and the boy had not been at the school for a month at that time. It was disturbing to see a kid so young skilled in martial arts to the point that a fight against Satome was completely one-sided against the school bully. He could not get any information from Satome and his goons about how they ended up so hurt a few weeks ago, but suspected that Li Syaoran was involved.

Teikei did not feel sorry for Satome or his goons. He had wanted to put those boys in their place long before questions of extreme misbehavior against a couple girls were rumored. He had some thoughts at what happened but, with the girls remaining silent and the boys not boasting about hurting those girls, there was no direct evidence anything happened. Without proof, his hands were functionally tied.

Now he had two different stories to contend with: one from Li Syaoran's friends and another from Satome and one of his thugs. He would be more inclined to believe what Yanagisawa said concerning the incident if not for her painting an unlikely person as her hero. If he was going to get to the bottom of this, he had to try to find holes in the stories.

Teikei looked away from his window and towards the door when he heard someone knocking. "Come in."

"You wanted to see me, sir?" The Chinese girl stood at the door poised and firm.

"Yes, it's about the incident this morning." Teikei pointed at the chair across from his desk.

Meiling seemed to check herself before she strode with purpose to the offered chair and sat down. "What more is there to say?"

"Satome had a different story to tell than the one I heard from you and your friends," Teikei began.

Meiling rolled her eyes. "And are you honestly going to believe HIM?"

Teikei held up a thick folder. "Li Meiling, you do not have a clean history. I can go on a fairly long list of known school infractions both here in Tomoeda and in Hong Kong. That doesn't take into account the suspected activities of even worse behavior."

Meiling raised an eyebrow. "Suspected activities?"

"There's a report of seeing four children, two of which appeared to be Chinese, running from Penguin Park after numerous penguin statues were destroyed or damaged," Teikei accused.

"I wouldn't know anything about that." Meiling's eyes failed to look at his.

Teikei smirked, suspecting he had hit on something. Though with the Daidouji family, again, having paid for the damages and repairs, the issue had largely been dropped by the police long ago. "You can see my point that you're not the most reliable witness."

"And what of Yanagisawa and her boyfriend?" Meiling returned.

Interesting choice of words, Teikei thought. "While Yanagisawa does certainly have no history of causing trouble, she is friends with you, Li Syaoran, Kinomoto Sakura and Daidouji Tomoyo. It would not surprise me that she might lie to protect her friends."

Meiling squirmed like a fish on his hook and said nothing.

"Now I'd rather not dredge up the past and instead look at the present and future. The fact of the matter is that there has been fighting going on at this school and I want it stopped," Teikei stated firmly.

"You going to expel Satome and his thugs?" Meiling asked with a hopeful edge to her voice.

"We can't expel anyone," Teikei retorted. "What I can do is make sure the guilty individuals are appropriately punished."

"What does this have to do with us? Satome attacked Yanagisawa, and he was beaten up to protect her. Is that wrong?" Meiling demanded.

"According to Satome and his... friend, they never touched her," Teikei explained.

"They most certainly were touching her. Satome held her arms to her body with one arm while his other hand covered her mouth," Meiling retorted.

Teikei looked at her evenly. "If you weren't there until after they were beaten up, how do you know how Yanagisawa was held?"

"She told me," Meiling quickly replied.

"Right," Teikei replied disbelievingly. "And she told you this while Asaba was laying on the ground in pain?"

"No, while Syaoran carried him to the school," Meiling corrected.

"You know that is the weak point of both your stories. Asaba is no fighter, yet in your story he's the hero. In Satome's, he's the victim trying to help them. Neither of which rings true to me. Asaba could not have hurt them so badly, nor would a berserk attack lead to him being hit twice and then defend the story told of how he was injured," Teikei pointed out.

"Truth can be stranger than fiction." Meiling shrugged. "You can be surprised at what you can do when you need to do it."

"Indeed. Though I'm more apt to believe that there is some truth in both stories. That Yanagisawa was attacked, Asaba tried to defend her but was hurt in the process, then Li Syaoran attacked them in rage," Teikei told her evenly.

Meiling shot to her feet and slammed her hands down on the desk. "WHAT? Is THAT what they told you? That HE beat them up?"

"Of course they pointed at him as the one who attacked them. Who else could cause such injuries on a person?" Teikei retorted.

Meiling didn't seem to entirely hear him. "Those freaking wusses won't admit that they got their ass kicked by a girl twice."

Teikei blinked in confusion. He almost wanted to laugh at the notion that a girl thrashed Satome and his thugs. He then stared at where her hands had been on his wooden desk. There were now two dented handprints on the softwood with cracks spreading from the impact. He leveled his gaze at the girl. "So you're saying that not only did you hurt those boys today, but also caused the injuries they suffered before?"

Meiling froze. She then folded her arms and flopped into the chair. "Yes, I did. AFTER they threatened to rape me, Kinomoto, Yanagisawa, Daidouji and Sasaki. The guy with his face bandaged specifically wanted me AND even after getting his nose broken, he intentionally looked up my dress. I don't know why Satome has such a beef with us, but he seems intent on getting back at us by raping Kinomoto or her friends. Yanagisawa was just an easier target."

Teikei frowned at her admission. "Did Satome really say he was going to 'rape' you?"

"Oh, he said he wanted to 'train us' and bullshit like that,'" Meiling spat. "He was 'nice' enough to let Yamazaki-chan go. However, they made it clear with their actions that they wanted to screw us, even though we didn't want to be touched by any of them."

Teikei tapped his fingers in thought. That seemed more in line with the events, however the so-called victims didn't support it. It certainly explained why one was more injured than the others. And the 'unmanliness' of being beaten by a girl would keep their mouths shut as to how it happened. Though he doubted someone Satome's age was really going to rape a girl, rather he suspected the boy would've 'put the girls in their place' by beating them up. Still it left questions in his mind. "So, you've learned martial arts as well as your cousin, have you?"

Meiling laughed. "I was being taught how to fight as soon as I could walk. We have a family art that is taught to every generation. And I'm a rank higher than Syaoran now."

"Why would you be taught martial arts at such an age?" Teikei wondered.

"The Li clan is old, powerful and rich. People wanting that would turn to kidnapping children from the clan, and they would learn the hard way a Li at any age is not a foe to be taken lightly," Meiling explained proudly. She then glanced down at the desk. "I'll have that replaced."

"Don't think that will get you completely off the hook." Teikei hated dealing with children that had access to more money than he would likely have his entire life. "I don't want you to take matters into your own hands. I can't expel Satome even if I wanted to, but I can negate your Student VISA. Am I understood?"

"I will defend myself and my friends," Meiling vowed, before stomping out of the room.

Teikei got up and looked out the window of his office. He did not like what he was seeing. Bullies craved power, and Satome just ran into two students that surpassed him. The thug will be lashing out, trying to reestablish himself at the top of school. The fact that Satome had less followers today than what he had a few weeks ago showed the loss of power and respect. Even if the rumors concerning Satome weren't true, his violence would likely increase. He had to do something to keep this from escalating.

* * *

Reiko followed behind Sakura, wondering what boys saw in the airhead. The girl's auburn hair and green eyes screamed that she wasn't pure Japanese, yet that didn't seem to deter any interest and possibly added to it. Reiko's own pure Japanese beauty seemed to get swallowed up being in a crowd of girls with black hair and brown eyes. And despite Sakura's way of prancing around, Reiko suspected more guys had seen her own panties than that girl's.

Even as Reiko walked quietly through the streets of Tomoeda, Sakura swayed back and forth as if trying to rattle some sort of thought in her empty head. The girl's distraction continued even as they reached one of the busier intersections of the town.

Reiko's eyes widened as Sakura began to step into the street without looking. A large truck was driving down the road, and if the girl took another step she'd be hit by it. No word of warning came from her, yet Sakura turned and clumsily backed away from the street just as the truck roared past her. Losing her balance, Sakura awkwardly walked backwards a few steps before falling on her ass right in a mud puddle.

While Sakura whined pitifully, Reiko wanted to laugh.

Sakura stood up and tried to brush off the mud. "This is no good!"

"I guess you'll need to go home and get changed," Reiko commented, not sorry in the least that her time with the girl would be reduced.

Sakura looked around and smiled slightly at the apartment complex across the street. "Syaoran-kun's place is much closer. I can get changed there."

Reiko blinked in surprise. "You've got clothes at your boyfriend's place?"

Sakura blushed and laughed nervously as she looked both ways before crossing the street. "I was helping take care of Syaoran-kun when I caught the flu. Dad couldn't afford to get sick so I stayed here. I just... didn't take my clothes back home."

"Ah." Reiko nodded, not entirely believing the girl.

Silence once again followed them as they took the elevator up and then walked to Li's apartment. Reiko raised an eyebrow when Sakura fished out a key and opened the door.

Sakura rushed into the apartment. "Go ahead and have a seat. I'll be right back."

Reiko nervously entered the apartment, looking around expecting someone else to be here. "Where's Li-kun's parents? At work?"

"Hong Kong," Sakura replied from the room she had dashed into.

Reiko blinked. "Hong Kong? Then who's watching after him?"

Sakura didn't immediately reply. "No one."

"You mean that Li-kun and Meiling-san live here alone?" Reiko asked, suspecting that Sakura functionally lived here as well.

"Yes. Syaoran-kun said it had something to do with proving himself. That he would be able to take clan leadership in a few years," Sakura explained.

And probably have an heir thanks to the empty-headed girl. Though Reiko had to admit, for being in Tomoeda for over a month now, the apartment was surprisingly clean for two, well three, teenagers on their own.

Reiko mused over what she had just been told. The girl sure knew how to pick her boy. Rich enough family to send their son to another country and set him up in an expensive apartment like this one. She had to wonder why Li even came to Tomoeda originally, though there was little question as to why he was here this time- to woo Sakura and bring her to Hong Kong as his wife. Though Reiko wouldn't be surprised that the boy was using the airhead to get closer to Daidouji.

Reiko jumped when the door to the apartment opened. She fidgeted seeing Li Syaoran and Meiling enter. She bowed to them. "Excuse my intrusion, but Kinomoto fell into some mud and insisted we come here so she could get fresh clothes."

Meiling laughed. "Figures. Give me a moment and I'll get changed as well."

Reiko said nothing as both of them moved towards the hallway. Li stopped before entering one of them. "Sakura is in my room, isn't she?"

"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura chirped. "I'll be right out. I was trying to clean the mud off your carpet."

Li sighed and shook his head. "You know, you could practice here."

"I appreciate the offer, Li-kun, but I'm already running late getting home," Reiko quickly turned down the offer, not wanting the other two girls to have a chance to agree with him. "Besides, I would also like to get out of this uniform." She pinched at her short skirt for emphasis.

Li shrugged.

Meiling exited her bedroom. "We'll be rotating where we'll practice. First one is at Reiko-chan's as her mother wants to meet us."

"Ah." Li nodded.

Sakura finally exited the room now, wearing tan shorts and a green shirt with a blue stripe down the side that seemed a tad big on her and holding her school uniform carefully folded in her hands. She squeaked as Li snatch the school dress from her.

"I'll take care of washing these. You can pick them up later," Li told her.

Sakura blushed. "Thank you, Syaoran-kun." She fidgeted, seemingly debating to give him a kiss or something despite the audience.

"You always have to pick the shirts I bought for him, don't you?" Meiling smirked at the girl. "And Syaoran, you can wash my uniforms too."

Li rolled his eyes. "Sure."

"How did things go with the school disciplinarian?" Sakura wondered.

Meiling folded her arms irritably. "I got to buy him a new desk and I still might get punished for trashing Satome and his thugs. Fucking jerks got what they deserve. I shouldn't get in trouble for protecting Yanagisawa."

"At least he knows I really had nothing to do with this morning's fight," Li added.

Reiko stared at Meiling in disbelief. "YOU beat up SATOME?"

Meiling smirked. "I'm of a martial arts rank where I can start to take on students." She then glanced at her cousin. "And when are you going to start training your student again?"

Li didn't answer, rather he merely looked at his girlfriend.

Sakura fidgeted. "I don't like martial arts. I know too much as it is."

Meiling poked the girl's forehead. "You can never know too much. You may come to regret not learning how to protect yourself that way."

Sakura pouted. "Some of the moves are just wrong."

Reiko wondered what Sakura meant, but was getting rather annoyed at this delay. "Can we get going? I need to get home soon."

"Yes!" Sakura chirped, eager to get out of the conversation.

"Sakura," Li called out before the girl could leave. "Be careful and mind yourself. Batsu-sensei believes you might have been involved in the piano and the park incidents a few years ago. Best to avoid trouble and not make him think you really were involved."

Reiko blinked. "Did you help toss the piano off our elementary school's roof?"

"That wasn't me!" Sakura denied, shaking her head feverishly.

* * *

"Yanagisawa!" Asaba cried out, chasing the girl after leaving the school and being interrogated last by the school disciplinarian.

Naoko turned with her eyes rolled. "Yes, Asaba-kun?"

"Um, why did you make me the hero of your story?" Asaba wondered.

Naoko blinked in confusion, but then smirked. "Li-kun already got in trouble once for fighting Satome-san, and I didn't want Meiling-chan or him to get in trouble. You weren't likely to be punished as you suffered enough already."

Asaba shifted. "Don't remind me. It still stings. I'm just thankful nothing, well, broke."

Naoko nodded, yet seemed to be trying to stifle some giggles.

Asaba sighed. "Can I ask you something?"

"I'm not going to introduce you to Konagi," Naoko firmly stated. "It's a matter of trust that can't be broken."

Asaba held up his hands defensively. "I wasn't going to ask you about that. And I guess I understand that it's not that you won't tell me but that you can't do it." He then looked away. "I know this is a bit early and the school festival is a few months away, but... would you go with me to the festival?"

Naoko stared at the boy for a long moment, but then her features hardened. "You're not trying to use me to get to Konagi, are you? I've had enough of boys asking me out just to get closer to Rika-chan, Sakura-chan or Tomoyo-chan."

Asaba shook his head. "That's not it! I mean, sure I'd like to meet Konagi-sama, but she's waaaaay older than me, right?" He swallowed hard as the girl's features didn't change. "Look, you're the only girl I've ever been able to talk with that I can relate to. If I was to start talking about werewolves fighting vampires, other girls would walk away while you'd correct me if I got something wrong."

Naoko folded her arms. "So you're saying that you're a geek, and I'm geek enough to understand you."

Asaba scratched the back of his head. "Er... well..."

Naoko walked up to him and placed her finger on his lips. "You better stop there before you dig yourself a hole, Shinji-kun. It's a date for now, so long as you behave yourself."

Asaba Shinji stared as the girl skipped away from him. He then smiled dumbly. "She called me 'Shinji-kun.' I've got a girlfriend!"

* * *

Reiko wanted to scream. As if spending her entire afternoon with an empty-headed klutz and a girl with the ego the size of Hong Kong wasn't bad enough, now she was once again walking with Sakura, this time to the market store to get a few items needed for dinner. At least once she was done at the market, she could leave the brain-dead girl and go home by herself.

Sakura happily chatted away about some idea she had for the cheerleading team that involved a display of gymnastics that only Meiling and her could do, which Reiko would be vetoing later. It sounded neat, but the team captain shouldn't be upstaged by her 'helpers.'

The roar of an engine and squealing tires caught the attention of the girls a half-block shy of making it to the convenience store. Reiko barely caught a glimpse of the driverless car barreling towards them before she felt Sakura roughly shove her out of the way.

Reiko moaned from where she now laid on the ground, rubbing her injured head. She didn't remember hitting anything, but she must have been knocked out. Confusion as to her injury gave way to shock seeing Sakura literally playing matador to a beat-up and driverless car. The blue economy car bared the damage caused by it ripping up the street in its attempt to run down the girl. More surprising than the murderous car was that Sakura was performing super-human leaps while holding a wand with a star on top to avoid being run over.

"How do I stop the car without making the damage obviously magical?" Sakura asked herself. She then smirked as she landed from a jump a fair distance away from the car. Once again the engine roared and barreled towards the girl who said but a simple word, "Earthy." A wall shot up out of the street right in front of the car. With a thunderous crash, the economy car compacted itself.

Sakura checked over the car and saw the engine was now in the driver's seat. She nodded to herself and the road began to shake like it was having a private earthquake. The wall disappeared and the ground moved like water, pushing the car into the wall next to where Reiko still laid where it had first tried to kill Sakura.

Reiko closed her eyes hoping to wake from this strange dream of Sakura being a magical girl. She then felt a small hand shake her.

"Reiko-chan, are you all right?" Sakura asked.

Opening her eyes and looking at the damaged car and other signs that the battle did happen left the girl speechless.

"Are you okay?" Sakura pressed.

Reiko sat up unsteadily and rubbed her head. "What happened?"

Sakura suddenly started to fidget, trying to rattle some story out of her empty head.

Reiko pointed at the car. "Were some guys joyriding in that stupid thing?"

"Right! That's it, boys were joyriding in it! Nearly hitting us!" Sakura blatantly lied. Her nervousness didn't wane. "Did you see... anything?"

"Nothing. All I felt was you pushing me headfirst into a wall," Reiko muttered.

"Sorry!" Sakura chirped in anguish. "I was trying to knock you out of the way."

"A headache is preferable to what that would've done to me," Reiko countered, pointing at the demolished car. She then forced herself to say, "Thanks." She didn't mean it in the least, considering she wouldn't have been in any danger if she wasn't with Sakura in the first place.

* * *

Asaba Shinji looked up as his mother arrived home from work. "Hi, Mom."

Mrs. Asaba appraised how her son was sitting awkwardly on the couch, yet had a goofy smile on his face. "Are you okay? I got a call from your school saying you had been beaten up."

Shinji nodded sheepishly. "Satome and two of his thugs were going to hurt Naoko-chan and I tried to protect her."

Mrs. Asaba nodded as to why her son got hurt, but then blinked. "'Naoko-chan?' Who's she?"

"My girlfriend!" Shinji chirped. "She's a girl in my class who reads a lot of books and is really smart."

Mrs. Asaba folded her arms and let out a short laugh. "She's a geek like you, huh?"

Shinji smirked weakly. "Yeah. But she's cool. Sure, she's not the best looking girl in class, but I can talk to her and stuff."

Mrs. Asaba sighed. She had hoped her son would wait until at least senior high before he started dating girls, but with how her son was turning out- she had started to suspect she might have to arrange a wife for him. At least her son was on the right track in picking a girlfriend. A girl who was as much a friend as someone that he was attracted to. "So... when are you taking her out?"

"The school festival," Shinji replied.

Mrs. Asaba blinked. "That's months away. You need to do something with her much sooner, like this weekend. You have to pay attention to her, otherwise she can lose interest in you."

* * *

The sun had set while Satome Ryujin sat in the kitchen of his house. Food simmered in pots, yet despite his hunger he waited.

Finally his mother arrived home, muttering curses about stupid judges who don't have any commonsense and defense attorneys painting the victim as the criminal.

Without a word, Ryujin set the food onto the table.

"Can you believe these stupid men? Like a woman would honestly fucking ask to have her head smashed into a window. Just because she dresses in a short skirt doesn't mean she's inviting ugly and stupid men to have their way with her. Oh, no. Dressing provocatively is 'invitation enough' to assume she wants sex, and girls can't just say 'no' because that's rude," his mother ranted. "All men are stupid pieces of shit."

Ryujin swallowed nervously as his mother began helping herself to the meal he made.

His mother took a few bites of the food. "What is wrong with this rice? It's horrible!"

'That it was ready two hours ago and that you didn't bother to call and tell me that you would be late,' ran through his mind, but knew all to well what would happen if he did.

"This shit isn't fit for a dog! You can eat this slop like it should be, from the floor!" His mother dropped her plate onto the floor, which caused the porcelain to shatter.

Ryujin took a step back.

"Look at what you did to my good dishes," his mother hissed. She got up from the table and stalked towards her son. "I see I need to teach you another lesson why men aren't better than women."

Ryujin began to scream in pain.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Coming Soon: Chapter 7 - Sakura's Longest Day While Sakura knows that two people expect to die soon, a sudden death catches everyone off guard.

I thought I would try something a little different this chapter and do it entirely in the perspective of non-canon characters. Getting a look at the CCS crew from the perspective of 'normal people.'

In regards to Satome, I am not condoning his behavior, merely showing why he acts the way he does. Nor am I suggesting that child abuse will lead the child to commit criminal acts. The two guys that are closest to being Satome's friends do not have such an 'excuse.' I just wanted to show Satome doesn't attack girls without 'reason.' He attacks them out of misplaced anger against his mother for hurting him. People deal with abuse and trauma in different ways, Satome took an unhealthy and criminal way to deal with his.

For this omake, a reminder: Shadow of the Dragon is primarily anime based. As such Fujitaka is not the reincarnation of Clow and the method of being reborn could have been different (though not necessarily as the way I present it here).

* * *

There was one aspect of reincarnation that Clow had kind of overlooked. That in being reborn meant having new parents and a new childhood. At least Eriol's parents were both magic-users, though this time his father was Japanese while his mother was British.

Living in a magical home, being the reincarnation of an ancient sorcerer did not come as a huge shock. They knew enough of Eriol's situation to allow him to do as he needed to make his heir ready. With his task completed in Japan, he had to return to home to England.

Now Eriol was trying to get used to being a normal teenager, well as normal a magic-wielding teenager might be. And not much can be so common place as to taking out the trash.

Though there were some things that were not common about Eriol. He smiled seeing Kaho walking towards him. "Good evening, Kaho."

"Hello, Eriol. How has your day been?" Kaho asked politely.

"Fine. Though Nakuru seems to insist on getting into trouble," Eriol replied with a smirk.

"And how much trouble have you caused?" Kaho pressed accusingly.

Eriol shrugged. "None that can be proved. Shall we go for a walk?"

Kaho nodded. "I'd like that, yet I know you have nothing but mischief on your mind."

"I must be me!" Eriol vowed.

Mr. Hiiragizawa watched the exchange from the window of his home and shook his head. "I still don't know who's robbing the cradle there. The teacher in her twenties or the fifteen-year-old student with centuries of knowledge."

"Love comes in all forms, even if we don't like it," Mrs. Hiiragizawa groused.


	7. Sakura's Longest Day

Sakura felt uneasy as she skated her way towards school. She always felt a little jumpy after an attack, though today seemed different. She had never felt this unsettled before. It was like someone was walking over her grave. She hadn't had her half-remembered recurrent nightmare of a battle that went horribly wrong last night. Her feeling of dread made her wonder if somehow that fight was going to come today.

"Hey, Kinomoto."

Sakura jumped and whirled around. "Don't scare me like that!"

Meiling looked at her friend oddly. "You okay?"

Sakura let out a sigh of relief seeing Syaoran and her friends coming toward her, somehow lessening the unease she felt. "I'm fine. I just feel that something is... I don't know... off, I guess."

"What do you mean?" Syaoran wondered.

"I'm not really sure how to put it into words." Sakura shook her head fiercely. "It's probably nothing if you don't feel anything."

Syaoran frowned. "Sakura, you are more sensitive than I am. And I wasn't sure if I was feeling something or not."

Sakura pouted. "Do you think there might be another attack today?"

"If there is, can it happen before our third class? I want to get out of our mathematics test," Takashi joked.

Sakura let out a forced laugh. "You're not the only one."

Syaoran rubbed his chin in thought. "It would be the shortest period of time between attacks, but that may be why it would happen so soon. We shouldn't be expecting one to happen. Especially considering the car that tried to run you over was overly simple."

"Whoever is behind it is certainly an evil bastard," Naoko observed. "First involving us into the attacks, and now Reiko-chan. He doesn't care who he hurts to get at Sakura-chan."

"We can't be sure about that," Meiling retorted angrily. "This might all be another stupid set of tests on Kinomoto. With the car attacking Sakura when she's next to an innocent bystander to see if Sakura would protect her. Protecting a friend is one thing, risking personal injury to save someone you barely know is something else."

Naoko folded her arms. "Or it could be someone like Satome. What's the chances he's a mage of some sort?"

"Not much of one," Syaoran replied neutrally. "During the tests Hiiragizawa put Sakura through I would've detected any mage that would be at our school that wasn't heavily shielded."

"Problem with that is Satome didn't attend Tomoeda Elementary. He moved here before the start of Junior High," Naoko corrected.

"Okay, so a better chance than I thought, but how would he get to Hong Kong and use an artifact held by my clan?" Syaoran retorted.

"Well, if he's not acting alone..." Naoko pressed.

Meiling laughed. "You just want an excuse to get him out of here, don't you?"

"Considering he threatened me twice with rape, the second of which would've been with three guys attacking me at the same time, you figure it out," Naoko groused bitterly.

"Still sounds like a good suspect to me," Meiling voted.

Syaoran scowled at her. "Let's just get to class."

* * *

**Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 7: Sakura's Longest Day**

_**By: Lord Archive**_

Author's Warnings:

In accordance to movie system rating this series would be rated PG-13, and as for television would rate TV M for mature audience, but would be viewable with no edits save for some incidents of vulgar language. Due to subjective nature of the ratings, for FFnet this series has been labeled with a mature rating for those who have poor views of some of the subject matter contained within.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

The apprehension Sakura felt didn't leave her as the classes began for the day. While it lessened when she saw that her friends were safe, it continued to grow through the day. Reiko's initial absence disturbed her for reasons she couldn't explain. Eventually the girl did arrive at the start of the second class but she looked visibly disturbed, and had cast a quick, sad look to the back of the classroom.

Shortly after Reiko's arrival, the principal entered the classroom. The small, frail old man usually carried a look of an iron will, but today he seemed beside himself. "I'm afraid I'll be taking a few students from your class," the principal apologized to the teacher. He then looked toward the back of the class. "Yamazaki Chiharu and Yamazaki Takashi..."

Surprised noises from the students erupted at the name Chiharu had been called by.

Sakura's heart froze in pain. She suddenly knew where her unease was coming from. And the pale sickly look of Chiharu confirmed it. The only reason why she would be pulled from class using her married name would be because her father had finally passed away.

The principal cleared his throat to get the students to quiet down. "Li Syaoran and Li Meiling..."

Sakura fought the urge to jump from her desk and hug her boyfriend.

"And Daidouji Tomoyo... if you would all come with me," the principal finished.

Confusion etched itself onto Tomoyo's face as the unease Sakura felt gave way to surprise and sorrow.

Tomoyo stood up. "May I inquire as to what this is about?"

"It would be best to tell you in private," the principal told her, unable to look the girl in the eyes.

Sakura stood up, reached out and gave Tomoyo's hand a comforting squeeze. "Principal, would it be okay if I accompanied them? I am their friend, and Tomoyo-chan is my cousin, if a bit distant."

The principal nodded.

As they walked toward the front of the room, Reiko commented to Tomoyo, "It was quick."

Tomoyo's confusion did not wane, but Sakura held the girl's hand tighter.

There was a deep silence as the six students followed the principal to his office. Once inside the elderly man began to fidget, while Sakura also took Syaoran's hand.

"My father died this morning, didn't he?" Chiharu asked in a hollow voice. Her words causing Takashi to hold her tighter.

The principal sighed. "Yes. I'm sorry."

Chiharu immediately buried her face into Takashi's chest and began to cry.

The principal then looked at Syaoran. "Your sister, Li Fanren, passed away this morning as well. I don't have any details on how it happened."

Sakura felt both of her hands being squeezed hard by her boyfriend and by Tomoyo.

Syaoran closed his eyes and bowed his head, fighting the tears that were forming.

"Daidouji-san, I'm afraid there was an accident this morning... a drunk driver hit the car your mother was in. She was pronounced dead at the scene. I'm sorry for all your losses." The principal bowed his head.

"Mother..." Tomoyo whispered. Her body was initially stiff but then began to shake uncontrollably. Feeling her best friend's arms around her, sobs and wails racked her body.

Tomoyo's and Chiharu's tears weren't the only ones to fall, while Sakura and Takashi weren't the only one giving hugs. The sadness of the room was overwhelming for all involved.

* * *

Sakura leaned against the wall outside of the girl's bathroom. Tomoyo wanted a moment of privacy, and so all she could do for her friend was stand here and wait for her. She didn't really know what else she could do for her friend, or for her boyfriend.

Syaoran sighed after finishing his call on his cell phone. "We'll be leaving at ten o'clock tomorrow morning."

Meiling nodded.

"I'm sorry I can't go with you," Sakura apologized.

Syaoran moved toward his girlfriend and placed his hand on her shoulder only to have her latch her arms around him. He returned her hug and kissed the top of her head. "It's okay. We all knew this was going to happen. And besides, Daidouji really needs you more than I do right now."

"I know, but you need me too," Sakura sobbed. "How can I help you if I'm helping Tomoyo-chan?"

"I'll take care of Syaoran for you," Meiling vowed. "You take care of Daidouji for me."

Sakura pulled away from her boyfriend and had a sad, sheepish smile. "I guess that's the best we can do." She then looked down at her feet. "If only I had time to get to know Tomoyo-chan's mother more. She was kind of an aunt to me."

"If only we knew today was Fanren's last day. We could've said good-bye to her," Meiling agreed.

"I'm sure Chiharu-chan would've liked one last good-bye as well," Sakura added.

"It'd be better if we never had to say 'good-bye' to the ones we love," Syaoran voiced sorrowfully.

Meiling and Sakura could only nod to his words.

The bathroom door opened and Sakura's heart sank. The girl that emerged did not look like Tomoyo at all. There were no tears on her face, her eyes were vacant and did not focus on anyone or anything, and her posture was stiff and unfeeling.

"Daidouji... Don't start looking like that," Meiling chastised. "It hurts to look at you."

"Is there any other way for me to look now?" Tomoyo returned. "I am Daidouji Tomoyo, President of Daidouji Toys and controlling partner in the Amamiya Group." She turned toward her best friend. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan, but I won't be able to play with you any more."

Sakura stared as her dearest friend began to walk away. "Tomoyo-chan, what are you going to do?"

Tomoyo paused for a moment. "I will select a husband and claim my inheritance. Good-bye, Sakura-chan, Meiling-chan, Li-kun." She turned and gave a hard look towards Syaoran. "You take good care of Sakura-chan."

Syaoran merely nodded.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura cried, reaching out for her departing friend.

* * *

Takashi held his wife close to him as they walked towards what was now fully their home. He didn't know what to say to her. He just kept her close, trying to support her the best he could.

"Thank you, Takashi," Chiharu told him in a hollow voice. "If it wasn't for you, I'd never have told Dad that I loved him."

Takashi smiled sadly. "I knew you'd regret it if you didn't tell him. My mother certainly did when we lost my sister."

Chiharu nodded. "I still can't believe he's gone. I've been wishing for his pain to end, and now it has, but I still want him here with me."

"Do you want me to say something corny?" Takashi asked with a fake joking smirk.

"No." Chiharu sighed. "I don't want to hear about 'how he'll always be in my heart' and crap like that. I want to hug him. I want him to toss me up into the air. I want my Daddy." She bit back a sob. "In many ways he was already dead. Cancer took him away long before this morning. I could talk to him, but nothing else."

"Even that little bit of extra time you had with your father is far better than what Daidouji and Li-kun got. You got to say good-bye, they didn't," Takashi pointed out.

"Though I wonder if I should be thankful for that. I'd think losing him as he was, and not watching him waste away would've been better. That way I can truly remember him as a strong father, not a frail, sickly person," Chiharu countered.

* * *

Sakura unfortunately returned in time for her test. With her mind so distracted, she knew she flunked it badly with several of the problems left blank. As the lunch hour began, Rika and Naoko immediately rushed toward her.

"Sakura-chan, what's going on?" Naoko demanded.

The auburn haired girl bowed her head. "Chiharu-chan's father, Syaoran-kun's sister, and Tomoyo-chan's mother all died this morning."

"Oh, my!" Rika gasped.

Asaba put his hand on Naoko's shoulder. "Can I ask why the principal called for 'Yamazaki Chiharu' and not 'Mihara Chiharu?'"

Naoko smiled sheepishly. "Chiharu-chan married Yamazaki-kun last year. They've known that her father was dying. They didn't expect him to last this long."

"Ah." Asaba nodded. "So what happens now?"

"Syaoran-kun and Meiling-chan will be in Hong Kong for the next week for Fanren-chan's funeral. Chiharu-chan will be taking over her family's house with her husband." Tears began to pool in Sakura's eyes again. "And Tomoyo-chan needs to marry soon and take over her family's businesses."

Rika cover her mouth with her hands. "Oh, no. But she doesn't have anyone, does she? What can she do?"

"Have it arranged by picking a suitable husband of means," Naoko replied. "It's no different than what Chiharu-chan or her sister would've needed to do if Chiharu-chan didn't have Yamazaki-kun, only Tomoyo-chan has much more to lose if she doesn't."

"I guess," Rika replied sadly. "I suppose we won't be seeing much of Tomoyo-chan anymore, will we?"

"No! We won't!" Sakura collapsed onto her desk. "Why does this all have to happen? Why?"

* * *

Sakura phoned home and told her father of the sad news and that she would be going over to Tomoyo's house. This was not a trip she wanted to take, but one she needed to do for her best friend. She didn't get a chance to announce her presence when she arrived at the gate as a guard with her arm in a sling stood there waiting.

"Sakura-sama, I've been expecting you," the guard told her, opening the gate.

Sakura nodded and allowed herself to be led toward the Daidouji home. "How is Tomoyo-chan?"

"I hear she has been shutting herself off. Closing off her emotions," the guard informed stiffly. "The others were ordered by Tomoyo-hime to not let anyone, even you, into the house."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. "Why would Tomoyo-chan not want to see me?"

"I am not sure what Tomoyo-hime has in mind. Perhaps she is hoping for a clean break from her childhood as she now must face the tasks and ordeals of an adult in charge of a business empire," the guard guessed. "We do not wish to see Tomoyo-hime to lose her smile entirely. We can't allow her to lose her friends."

"I see." Sakura sagged. "But you said Tomoyo-chan ordered you to not let me in. Won't you get in trouble?"

The guard smirked sadly. "I do not believe I will have a job once I see Tomoyo-hime, with or without you. I just got back from the hospital and have not been given that order."

Sakura stopped cold and stared at the woman. "You were..."

"I was driving the car Daidouji-sama was... in," the guard informed. "I have failed to protect the Daidouji family. I hope this lone act of defiance will redeem me of my failure."

"It's not your fault! It was an accident! How could you know it'd happen?" Sakura began to tear up. She then whispered, "I didn't even know."

The guard knelt before the girl. "I know this may not be my place to ask... but is there some way you can fix this? Could you somehow exchange my life for Daidouji-sama's?"

Sakura took a couple fearful steps back. "Wha... WHAT?"

The guard bowed her head. "You don't think we would just drop off Tomoyo-hime in the middle of the night and leave her alone with you?"

"I ah..." Sakura shifted nervously.

"I know you have a power beyond my understanding. It pained me during the times you became injured in your trials, and I am deeply sorry I was not there to help you at Tsukimine Shrine against the dragon golem." The guard looked at the girl with grim determination. "Is there some way you can fix my failure? This cannot be the destiny set for Daidouji-sama and Tomoyo-hime. If there is any way that you can change this, please do so. If there must be a price, I will gladly pay it."

Sakura glowed faintly, communing with her cards. She didn't know what she hated more: that people she knew had died or that she was honestly considering agreeing to the guard's plea if her cards said it was possible. The Dark and The Light informed her that it could be done with their powers working together. However, she would not only need Sonomi's body, but the more damage to the body and the more time since death would greatly increase the amount of life energy needed to revive the person. The guard's life alone would unlikely be enough. "I'm sorry. It's too late to do as you ask."

"As I expected." The guard sighed and stood up. "But there is still much you can do for Tomoyo-hime, if you will."

"I'll do anything I can!" Sakura vowed.

* * *

Dressed in business suit, Tomoyo sat at her mother's desk in the home office. She was not happy in the least with what she was looking over. Each file was a potential husband of suitable means, and each obviously had their own ambitions. They would certainly agree to marry her, but only to gain access to her money and businesses. She didn't even want to think why a thirty-year-old slacker born to rich parents would have his name included to marry a fifteen-year-old girl. She'd probably be able to control him, but would likely have to do so with her bed. Selecting one of her classmates would likely have the same result, but would not be nearly as sickening to her. The only boys she trusted enough for the role were more than taken.

"Tomoyo-chan?"

Tomoyo looked up with a mix of emotions crossing her face. "Sakura-san, why are you here?"

Sakura flinched. "I'm your friend, Tomoyo-chan! Your friend! Just because you lost your mother doesn't mean you've lost me as well! I want to be here for you! To help you!"

Tomoyo bowed her head. "There is nothing you can do for me. Being a president of a major business is certainly a job, as such I'll be under permanent suspension until the school year is finished at which point I won't bother applying for senior high. We won't be in school together any more. I will not have any free time. I simply won't be able to have friends any more."

"Don't say that! Don't say that! It's too sad! You can't live by yourself! You can't be alone! I won't allow it!" Sakura cried out, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Would you become my personal assistant then? Would you devote all your time to me instead of Li-kun and your magic?" Tomoyo countered. "If I am to preserve what my mother left behind, I must enter this new world. Would you really join me in it?"

"You don't have to lose yourself," groused a diminutive voice.

"Kero-chan!" Sakura chirped. She wasn't all that surprised to see her guardian. He must've flown straight over after her phone call home.

"In case you've forgotten, Sakura-chan is the inheritor of something greater than mere monetary wealth and she has not lost herself into the world of magic. She made the time to remain friends with you and the other girls." Kero-chan pointed. "You don't have to take all the burdens on yourself! You have people around you willing to help and support you! You're don't have to make yourself face all of this alone!"

"And who can I trust to manage my family's money but myself? There are many who would take control from me for their own personal gains. If I'm not careful I could lose everything my mother worked so hard to build. She had so little time for me because of her work, yet you say I don't have to stop being a child? Don't be so naive." Tomoyo gripped the desk while tears fell from her face. "I don't want to say 'good-bye,' but I have to. This is what I need to do for my mother. Sakura-san, please don't make this harder."

"Is this what your mother wanted for you? To forget your friends and yourself for money?" Sakura sobbed. "Is this all worth your happiness?"

"What my mother wanted was to be here when I made her a grandmother. She didn't get that wish either," Tomoyo retorted tearfully. "Why don't you go to Hong Kong with Li-kun? You are his future, and my past."

* * *

Sakura sat upon her bed dressed in one of Tomoyo's battle costumes that hadn't been used yet. As the attacks had come randomly, her best friend had insisted she have a few on hand in case she had a chance to wear one during a magical situation. Which one to use was an easy choice as this one was based around rain. Blue with white highlights and a blue hat with numerous aqua beads sewed throughout the costume.

"You can't be considering going to sleep in that," Kero-chan groused.

Sakura shook her head. "I won't be going to sleep just yet."

Kero-chan folded his arms. "It's getting late. You need to sleep for school."

"It isn't time yet," Sakura replied in a hollow voice.

Kero-chan's expression turned to shock. "You're not considering what I think you're considering?"

"I can't let this happen. Today has been so wrong. Syaoran-kun and Chiharu-chan didn't get a chance to say 'good-bye,' and it can't be right for Tomoyo's mother to die like that. I can fix this," Sakura vowed.

"Sakura you stupid monster!" Kero-chan cursed. "There's going to be consequences if you change what happens! Balance must be kept!"

"Enough!" Sakura barked, freezing her guardian with her magic. "I know there may be a price to pay. But I can't leave things like this. It's not right and I will fix it!" She then opened the window and pulled out a card. "Good-bye, Kero-chan. If the worst happens... tell everyone that I love them and give the book to Syaoran-kun. Fly!"

"Sakura!" Kero-chan yelled, unable to do anything more than watch wings form on the teenage girl's back before she flew out the window.

The young mage could not let her worries cloud her mind. She had but one second to do what she needed to do. If she missed her chance, this horrible day would scar the lives of all those she loved. She stopped her flight a short distance from Tomoeda Elementary's clock tower as her path suddenly became blocked.

"Do you know what could happen?" Yue demanded.

"I am willing to pay any price to keep Tomoyo-chan from this fate," Sakura vowed.

"And if this costs you your life?" Yue shot back. "Daidouji will be just as upset with your death, if not more so."

"But Tomoyo-chan will not have to have those burdens placed upon her. She can be able to move on and live for herself, not for her memory of her mother." Sakura looked away. "And if that fate does happen... tell Tomoyo-chan, Syaoran-kun, and everyone else to do that for me. To live for themselves and not for my memory. I want them to be happy, no matter the cost."

Yue clenched his fist in anger. "If you are so resolved, I can not stop you... Master."

Sakura flinched more from the harsh tone of how he said 'master' than him calling her by that name. Still, she flew past him and completed her flight just as the clock began to chime the midnight hour. "May I be forgiven for this. TIME!"

* * *

Author's Notes:

Coming next week: Chapter 8 - Sakura's Longest Day Revisited Sakura has reset the day in hopes of saving the life of Tomoyo's mother, but what will the cost be for saving a person who was meant to die?

* * *

When working for the obscenely rich, one begins to expect getting some rather eccentric orders. Tonight's request was far stranger than the Daidouji family bodyguards usually receive. At a time when Tomoyo should be getting ready for bed, she had demanded to be taken to her school and left there with a van filled with strange costumes.

There was no way their boss would accept leaving her daughter alone with one of her classmates in the middle of the night. As such, they made a show of leaving to abide by Tomoyo's orders, yet didn't really leave.

Parking the car around the corner, the guards stealthfully moved onto the school grounds to see why Tomoyo wanted to be there and protect her if anything showed up.

"It's just to film a movie," one of the guards commented.

"What the?" Another guard pointed. "That shadow is moving!"

The guards stared as not only was a shadow moving without being attached to any object, the area of darkness picked up a rock off the ground and threw it at Tomoyo's friend. More shadowy creatures began to emerge, also attacking the young girl. As if the shock of having shadows attack wasn't enough, Tomoyo's friend chanted a spell and struck a card. Wings grew from the staff the girl held and she began to rid it in the air like she was a Western witch on a broomstick.

The girl's fight lasted only a couple minutes, and ended when Tomoyo turned on the school's lights to destroy most of the shadows. With the remaining core shadow being the only one left, Tomoyo's friend captured it and turned it into a card.

"Are we going to tell Daidouji-sama about this?" one guard asked.

"And get fired or committed for telling her something like this? I think not," retorted another guard.

"We'll just tell Daidouji-sama that Tomoyo-hime was filming a movie with her friend and leave it at that," a third guard noted.


	8. Sakura's Longest Day Revisited

Sakura's eyes snapped open. As soon as she moved to sit up Cerberus, in his true form, pounced at her. With a flash of magic, she flung him at the door and held him there. She then scowled at the time. "You turned off my alarm!"

"Of course I did!" Cerberus shot back. "You can't change this!"

"I won't know until I try and if you caused me to be late I'll have to reset and go through this awful day again!" Sakura spat angrily.

"Stupid monster, you can't do this!" Cerberus howled. "Sakura!"

"Fly!" Sakura called out, granting herself wings even as she picked up her cell phone. She began to dial while she flew out her open window. She growled in frustration as the phone was busy. She punched in a different number.

"Hey, Kinomoto, can you tell me what the hell is with Syaoran this morning? He was saying something about flying to Hong Kong and then Fanren called him," Meiling wondered, having answered Syaoran's cell-phone.

Sakura let out a partial sigh of relief. "Today is... Fanren-chan's day."

"I... I understand. I guess I won't be seeing you in class for the next week then..." Meiling trailed off. "Excuse me, I've got to say good-bye to her too."

"Good-bye," Sakura replied before hanging up. She then dialed another number.

"Hello, Yamazaki residence," a woman answered.

"This is Kinomoto Sakura, I need to talk to Chiharu-chan. It's urgent!" Sakura gritted her teeth as the seconds ticked by.

"Sakura-chan, what's so important?" Chiharu asked over the phone.

"Go see your father now! Today is the day!" Sakura half-shouted into her cell-phone.

"Today? You don't mean he's..." Chiharu's voice suddenly sounded empty.

"Yes, it's today. I'm sorry, Chiharu-chan. Go see him!" Sakura swallowed. "Good-bye."

Sakura pushed herself to fly faster. She couldn't have much time left. She had never been told where it happened, but she had a good guess. Reiko had seen the accident, while Syaoran and Meiling, who lived closer to the school, had not. As she neared Reiko's home she saw both the limousine driving towards downtown Tokyo and a beat up red pick-up truck wobbling towards an intersection. She needed to get there now. "Dash!" Her flight took a blinding speed.

Sakura spread her wings and arms as she landed at the mouth of the intersection, closing her eyes wondering if it would be the limousine or the pick-up truck that would hit her. Screeching tires filled her ears. She then whipped her head towards the sky as she felt Yue approach, but knew he was too far and too late to have any effect on what was about to happen.

The limousine came to a halt mere centimeters from her. Before those in the stretched car could do anything, the red pick-up swerved around Sakura and continued on past her.

Sakura could only stare as truck barreled down the street straight towards Reiko. Her instincts failed her as she tried to think of what to do. The pause was too much. With a thunderous crash, the cheerleader captain was struck, crushed between the pick-up and a wall fence.

Reiko coughed up some blood, staring vacantly at the magical girl. "You killed me, didn't you?"

The truck lurched backwards and blood flowed over the ground as Reiko fell, dead.

Sakura's eyes dilated and she began to scream.

Daidouji's bodyguards rushed from the limousine and forced the truck to stop, painfully dragging the drunk out of the driver's seat.

Sonomi rushed toward the intersection and froze upon seeing the dead girl down the street. She barely registered her bodyguards slamming the drunk into the ground and twisting his arm. She then gathered the screaming girl into a hug. "Oh, Sakura-chan, what's going on?"

"Today, death came in three." Yue landed, his voice aloof. He then pointed at the woman holding his master. "You were to be the third, but Sakura decided she could not allow that." He then turned towards the truck. "It would seem her classmate has taken your place. Whatever destiny that girl had is now yours. Do not waste the extension of life you've been granted."

"I... I was supposed to die here?" Sonomi whispered in horror and disbelief.

"Yes." Yue then pulled Sakura into his arms. "I shall take her home before others begin to arrive."

Sonomi nodded dumbly, watching as the winged man's hand flashed a blue light over Sakura's face, causing the hysterical girl to fall unconscious before she was taken away.

"Where's Sakura?" Syaoran demanded running towards the accident scene.

Sonomi pointed to the sky. "Yue took her home."

Syaoran blinked at the woman. "You know about... Sakura?"

Sonomi nodded vacantly. "I've known for a long time."

Meiling ran up to her cousin. "Will you tell me what the hell is going on today?"

"I... I was supposed to die today." Sonomi shuddered. She then pointed at the truck. "Sakura-chan saved me, but that girl died in my place."

Syaoran stared. "Isn't that...?"

"I guess this means I'm the captain of the cheerleader squad now," Meiling said without emotion. She then turned toward her cousin. "Go to Kinomoto. I have no idea how bad she'll take this."

* * *

**Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 8: Sakura's Longest Day Revisited**

_**By: Lord Archive**_

Author's Warnings:

In accordance to movie rating system this series would be rated PG-13, and as for television would rate TV M for mature audience, but would be viewable with no edits save for some incidents of vulgar language. Due to subjective nature of the ratings, for FFnet this series has been labeled with R rating for those who have poor views of some of the subject matter contained within.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Takashi chased after his wife. After a phone call, she rushed getting dressed and said she had to go home. She wasn't even in her school uniform. He had pointed that out to her, but she said it didn't matter.

They burst into the Mihara household, eliciting surprised noises from Chiharu's sister and mother. Chiharu came to a screeching halt at the door to her father's bedroom.

Chiharu made stuttering steps towards the side of the bed. Tears began to fall from her eyes. "Oh, Father..." She collapsed to her knees and took his cold hand into hers. "I love you." She sobbed. "Good-bye."

Takashi walked up to her and pulled her into a hug.

"What's going on?" Chiharu's mother asked. She then stared at the bed. She saw how the man's face was at ease. There was no pain, just peace. She stiffly turned. "Natsumi, your father's pain has ended."

Natsumi was in the room a second later. "Dad? You're just sleeping, right Dad?" She shook the cold body. "DADDY!"

* * *

It was the start of the second class when Meiling arrived at her classroom with the principal following behind her. In her hands was a simple white flower that apparently was going to hold a lot of meaning. As soon as her classmates saw what she was holding, the room erupted into noise, mostly asking if either Syaoran or Sakura had died. The principal's presence quickly quieted them down.

"Today I have a sad duty to perform," the principal began, looking older than his already considerable years. "I'm not sure where to begin."

Meiling fought the urge to groan. His delay was needlessly making people nervous, Tomoyo especially. She walked up to Reiko's desk and set the flower upon it.

"What? Reiko-chan? Don't tell me she died of some sex disease?" cried out one of the more athletic boys in the room, who was promptly slapped on the back of his head by another of the school's athletes.

The principal stared at the boy who spoke up, before straightening his suit and tie. "As I was about to say, this morning Ichimai Reiko was involved in an accident and died from her injuries." He then let out a long sigh. "Also, Li Syaoran's sister, Li Fanren, also passed away. And the father of Yamazaki Chiharu lost his long battle against his failing health."

"YAMAZAKI Chiharu?" cried out a few members of the classroom.

The principal shifted uneasily.

Meiling wondered if telling the class that name was a mistake or something the old man didn't want to explain. She shook her head. "Yamazaki-chan hasn't been a nickname but her real name. They've known her father was dying for a long time now and she married Yamazaki-kun to deal with inheritance issues."

"Why isn't Kinomoto here?" asked one of the boys in the class.

Meiling scowled at the boy, suspecting that he might be interested in the girl, which would be 'unhealthy' for him if Syaoran found out. "Kinomoto was on her way over to my home to see Syaoran and saw Ichimai die. She was rather upset and had to be taken home."

The principal let out a hollow laugh. "Perhaps I should've left informing the class to you." He then cleared his voice. "The arrangements for the funerals for Mihara-san and Ichimai Reiko will be announced when we have the information. Those who wish to attend may do so, but I expect you to be of your best behavior and I will be there to make sure you do."

"Syaoran and I will be gone for the next week to attend Fanren's funeral in Hong Kong," Meiling added.

"I am sorry for the interruption we have caused your class," the principal apologized to the teacher.

The teacher nodded and said nothing, expecting this to be a wasted class.

* * *

Sakura awoke in her bed and found her family, Kero-chan, Yue and Syaoran surrounding her. She knew what she had done and could not look any of them in the eye.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Fujitaka asked his daughter.

"How can I be okay? I just killed Reiko-chan!" Sakura sobbed. "It wasn't supposed to be her!"

"Sakura, what were you thinking?" Syaoran demanded, pulling the girl into a hug. "Were you really going to sacrifice yourself for Tomoyo's mother?"

"I couldn't let Tomoyo-chan become lost as well," Sakura retorted. "I know it would've hurt you all. But what Tomoyo-chan was going to do was even worse!"

"You were being a stupid monster!" Touya chastised. "You thought of only helping Tomoyo-chan. Did you once considering what you would've done to us?"

"Sakura-chan, it takes time to heal. Tomoyo-chan would've gotten better and realized she didn't have to leave behind her childhood and everyone. It was having all those burdens thrust at her at once that made her act that way," Kero-chan pointed out.

"I hope you understand the price you've paid," Yue groused.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this! Reiko-chan wasn't supposed to die!" Sakura sobbed.

"You're right." Yue folded his arms. "It was not that girl's time, but the balance had to be maintained. To save one life, you doomed another."

"It didn't have to be her!" Sakura protested.

"No, it didn't. And it was obviously not your time. The truck swerved, the limousine stopped in time, you didn't use the still active Dash to push the girl out of the way, and I doubt that you even once considered using The Shield to protect anyone. You have a destiny others cannot fulfill. Daidouji-san and that girl were replaceable," Yue intoned.

Sakura latched onto her boyfriend tightly. "What could I have done? Did I do the right thing? Should I change everything back? What can I do?"

There was no answer they could give her.

* * *

Sonomi had never taken a day off from work. There was always so much that needed her attention. Things that would pile up if she did not attend to it. But considering she was supposed to... have taken a 'permanent vacation,' she had seen fit to take today off.

After talking to the police about the accident, leaving all mention of Sakura's presence out of her account, Sonomi returned home. She had wished Tomoyo was still home, but her daughter had left for school by the time she arrived. She had been tempted to go to the school and take her from it, though thought better of it.

With the final bell of the school day tolling, Sonomi waited at the school gate. When her daughter emerged from the building she rushed to her and gave the girl a fierce hug.

That Tomoyo replied in kind, holding onto her mother tightly showed that she at least knew some of what happened today.

"Let's go see Sakura-chan," Sonomi whispered and felt her daughter nod in response.

After mother and daughter left the school and entered the limousine, Tomoyo asked, "Meiling-chan was rather sketchy about what happened this morning. What did happen?"

Sonomi gazed intently at her daughter. "Sakura-chan was forced to make an awful choice. I don't understand it entirely, but apparently when it's time for someone to... die, I ah... guess someone will die. Sakura-chan flew to save my life, but I'm not supposed to have lived. Because I was saved, a girl died in my place."

"Reiko-chan," Tomoyo breathed. "I know Sakura-chan didn't intend for her to die."

Sonomi held her daughter's hand tightly. "I suspect that... Sakura-chan had planned... to take my place."

Tomoyo's eyes widened in shock before she turned away and bowed her head. "Sakura-chan probably did."

The remainder of the short trip was finished in silence. Upon arriving at the home, Tomoyo rushed into her best friend's house.

Sonomi followed slowly after her daughter. Giving Fujitaka the barest of greetings before going up to Sakura's room and finding her daughter embracing the girl.

"Oh, Sakura-chan..." Tomoyo cried. "Oh, Sakura-chan..."

Sonomi sighed, unable to look at her savior. "Sakura-chan, now that you know what happens because you saved me... are you going to fix things?"

Tomoyo stiffened at the question.

"I... I don't know." Sakura's unfocused eyes gazed at the woman she had saved. "I've been trying to think of how to save everyone. It can't be your time or Reiko-chan's. Why is it someone has to die in that stupid accident?"

"Maybe God does exist, or maybe the Shinto gods and spirits." Sonomi shrugged. "I don't know. There must be a reason for it."

"What good is having all my magic if I can't save anyone?" Sakura demanded through her forming tears. "I have more power than I know what to do with, but I couldn't prevent someone from dying."

"Sakura-chan, I don't know what to tell you. All I can say is 'thank you.' Because of you I'm alive." Sonomi walked over to the window. "I know what I should say. Tell you to fix it that Reiko-chan lives even if it means my own death." She clinched her fists. "But I am a horribly selfish person. I don't want to die and leave Tomoyo-chan yet. I want to see my grandchildren."

Tomoyo remain quite as she continued to hold Sakura, tears streaming down both of their faces.

* * *

While Chiharu was 'mother's little angel,' Natsumi had always been 'Daddy's little girl.' The elder Mihara sister was at a loss of what to do now that her father had passed away. She knew it was past his time and he had been around longer than anyone expected him to be, but she still wanted him to remain with her. He had been a pillar in her life even as he grew sicker and weaker. He had been someone she could rely on. Now he was gone and she didn't know what to do.

Chiharu worked on cleaning the house trying to escape the silence that prevailed after her father's body had been taken away. Only Takashi talking on the phone to inform her relatives and her mother going through files filled with important documentation kept everything from being unbearably quiet.

"What happens now, Mother?" Natsumi asked as the woman entered the main room.

"Well, your father's funeral will be in three days at eight in the morning," Mrs. Mihara began. She then turned towards her younger daughter. "I've learned there has been an accident this morning. One of your classmates, Ichimai Reiko, was hit by a drunk driver and killed. Her funeral is at ten."

Chiharu bowed her head. "I see. I didn't really know her, but I suspect Meiling-chan and Sakura-chan will be attending her funeral."

"Actually, you can discount Li-kun and his cousin. Big events come in threes, and Li-kun's sister also passed away," Takashi corrected.

"If this is one of your tall tales..." Chiharu left her threat unsaid.

Mrs. Mihara shook her head. "If only it were."

Chiharu pouted. "Sakura-chan must be a wreak. She personally knew Reiko-chan, Li-kun's sister and Dad."

Takashi nodded. "More than you can guess. From what I was told, she saw Ichimai die."

Chiharu stared vacantly at her husband. "If she saw, why didn't she..."

"Who can say?" Takashi cut her off and shrugged excessively to draw attention back to himself. "Perhaps we should talk about living arrangements?"

The sisters nodded, willing to get off the previous topic.

Mrs. Mihara cleared her throat. "Once your father's life insurance is processed and I get the money, I will be moving out and into an apartment. I've found a decent one just outside of Tomoeda. Natsumi can either move in with me or stay here."

Natsumi thought for a moment. "Mind if I split time? I'll move in with Mom, but with school work and all, there might be times I'll need to crash here since it'll obviously be closer to the school."

Takashi shrugged. "I have no problem as long as you warn us ahead of time."

Chiharu nodded. "Of course you'd be welcome here. Neither of you have to move away."

Mrs. Mihara shook her head. "Dear, this is your home now, not mine. I will not be a guest in a home if I have a means of living under my own roof with my own terms."

* * *

Despite the number of people in the Kinomoto home, Sakura was left alone in her room as the hour approached midnight. They all had their own thoughts about what should be done, but only Sakura could make the final decision.

Sonomi glanced at the clock. "In two minutes I'll either live on here or find myself finishing up work and getting ready for bed without any memories of today and on my way to a fatal meeting with a stupid drunk."

"There may be another option," Meiling pointed out. "Kinomoto could set it up for someone else to die."

"She could never do that," Kero-chan pointed out sadly. "It would be the same to her as if she murdered them. It's one thing being powerless to stop someone from dying, it's something else entirely when you actively have to choose the person."

Meiling folded her arms. "I say she should reset the day and kill the drunk."

"That would be murder and it might not save Daidouji or that girl's life. There may be a reason why he drunkenly takes the life of a GIRL. Killing the GUY won't fix it," Kero-chan retorted bitterly.

Nothing more was said as the final seconds of the day ticked away. No magic flared in Sakura's room and the clock tower did not chime. The day came to an end with a mournful scream from the girl's room.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo whispered, but found herself unable to go and comfort her best friend. It was because of her that Reiko was now dead. Their classmate's blood was on her hands as well. "Thank you, Li-kun," Tomoyo lightly added, knowing the boy was now with Sakura as the girl's screams could no longer be heard throughout the house.

"I suppose it's time to head home," Sonomi announced. "I'm sorry for imposing so much."

"I guess saying 'don't think much about it' would be asking to much," Fujitaka hollowly joked.

"It would." Sonomi nodded. "I can never repay Sakura-chan for what she has done today, and I will see what I can do for the Ichimai family."

Fujitaka hugged her briefly. "Don't be a stranger, and don't forget to live your life to the fullest."

"I've been living too much for my work. I think it's high time I made some time for Tomoyo-chan and myself," Sonomi agreed.

Meiling yawned. "I should be headed home too. I've got to finish getting everything packed and ready to go. Make sure Syaoran is up and ready by eight so we can make it to the airport in time."

Fujitaka nodded. "Of course."

Sonomi looked a little startled. "You're letting him stay here, with her?"

Meiling laughed. "Mr. Chivalry up there wouldn't look at her panties without her permission, and she's too stupid and naive to think about anything beyond kissing. There's nothing to worry about, especially tonight."

"For now, anyway," Touya groused.

"I hope you're right. Sakura-chan doesn't need anymore... complications in her life." Sonomi shook her head. "Good-bye."

* * *

Syaoran held Sakura tenderly as the girl cried herself to sleep. This had been a horrible day for everyone, and though the next day had come- it was not truly over yet. Sakura's actions killed someone she knew, and he would give anything he could to be here for her. However, such was not to be the case. He had no choice but to return to Hong Kong for his sister's funeral.

For the next week Sakura would be on her own. Tomoyo would only be of marginal help as the girl would be a living reminder of what she had done. Sakura was hurting and all he could do was hold her tightly tonight and pray that she will be safe and alive when he got back. If an attack came now, Sakura would be absolutely defenseless and might even allow herself to be murdered.

"Sakura, I love you. Never forget that. No matter what you do, you will always be the one I love most," Syaoran vowed, wishing the now slumbering girl had heard him.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Coming Next: Chapter 9 - Sakura's Mournful Days Sakura is left alone to deal with the loss of three people she knew.

The following omake is a letter Sakura sent before the events of chapter 7.

* * *

Dear Eriol-kun,

Everything is fine here in Tomoeda, if you don't count the random attacks. Syaoran-kun has been a great help with them.

Thank you for suggesting to read 'Philosopher's Stone' for my book report. It felt a bit nostalgic when I read it. I felt much the same as Harry did when learning magic was real and having my eyes opened to a much larger and exciting world. At least I never had to face someone like Voldemort... At least I hope I'm not facing someone like that now.

Is the book based on real events? I'm wondering about that because the spells are real! I tried to cast the levitation spell and blew up my notebook. Kero-chan has helped me focus my magic, but he compared me trying to do such simple magic as if I was taking a bazooka to a gunfight. Like that poor boy, I'm overpowering the spells. Never really thought I had that much magical power.

How are things in London? Is Mizuki-sensei doing well? I should really write to her too.


	9. Sakura's Mournful Days

Sakura blearily woke up to Syaoran shaking her. "Huh?" she questioned tiredly wondering why he was waking her and where she was.

"Sorry for waking you up," Syaoran apologized. "I just wanted to say good-bye to you before I left for the airport."

Sakura shot up in her bed as recent events caught up to her. She then bowed her head as tears formed in her eyes. Last night she had made the decision to let Reiko remain dead, and Syaoran had held her as she had cried herself to sleep. She couldn't look at him as fear began to take her. "So you're leaving now?"

"I'll be back in a week, I promise." Syaoran placed his hand under her chin and made her look at him. "I don't want to leave you now, but I have to go to Fanren's funeral." He then leaned forward and kissed her lips briefly. "I love you, Sakura. Nothing will ever change that."

"But I'm a murderer. I killed Reiko-chan. I could've saved her," Sakura sobbed.

"You are not a murderer. It was the drunk's fault. You only changed who died." Syaoran sighed. "I know your decision is hurting you and that you have the right to feel guilty, but you did what you felt was right. Ichimai is dead and nothing can change that now, but because of you Daidouji and her mother haven't been lost to this tragedy. You saved two lives at the expense of one."

"That not a fair trade!" Sakura shouted. "People aren't something that can be traded!"

"Sakura, I know it doesn't sound fair, but sometimes taking one life will save more people. It a sad part of life." Syaoran pulled away from the girl. "I've got to be going now. Good-bye."

Sakura leapt from her bed. "I'm going with you to the airport!"

"There's no time to wait..." Syaoran stared as the girl began to take off her pajama top.

"That's enough of that!" Kero-chan cried out, announcing his presence in the room. "Out! Out!"

"Ack! Sorry!" Syaoran rushed out of the room.

Sakura froze, realizing what she had been doing in front of Syaoran. She didn't move again until her door had shut. She wasn't sure what to feel. She thought she should be relieved that he wasn't going to see her undressed, yet she also felt a little disappointed and even rejected for some reason. She shook her head and quickly moved to get ready to accompany Syaoran to the airport.

* * *

**Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 9: Sakura's Mournful Days**

_**By: Lord Archive**_

Author's Warnings:

In accordance to movie rating system this series would be rated PG-13, and as for television would rate TV M for mature audience, but would be viewable with no edits save for some incidents of vulgar language. Due to subjective nature of the ratings, for FFnet this series has been labeled with a mature rating for those who have poor views of some of the subject matter contained within.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Sakura flew through the night's sky, trying to run from her thoughts that had plagued her throughout her day, especially after Syaoran had left her early in the morning. She knew Kero-chan was following behind her, but had largely paid his presence no heed. She wanted to forget that Chiharu's father had passed away. She wished she could ignore that Syaoran was now in Hong Kong for his sister's funeral. She prayed that Reiko's blood would wash off her hands. Yet as much as she wanted these things to be just a bad dream, they were her harsh reality.

The meandering flight came to an end as Sakura landed on top of Tomoeda Elementary, right above her old fifth grade classroom.

"Kero-chan?" Sakura called out suddenly.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?" Kero-chan timidly replied.

"If when people die is predetermined, does that mean that people are meant to be murdered?" Sakura wondered in a strange hollow voice that sounded so unlike her.

Kero-chan shook his head. "Murder is not part of the natural order. It's an act that upsets the balance. However, because there are murders, many girls find themselves pregnant when they didn't want to be."

"Huh?" Sakura blinked.

"Look, because someone's life was taken before their time, a life will get born before they were supposed to. It balances out death and life," Kero-chan explained.

"Why do children die then? They haven't had a chance to live, yet they die," Sakura retorted.

Kero-chan shrugged. "Who can say? People have searched for thousands of years for answers to that question, and I don't think we're any closer today than those people were back then."

"Because of what I've done, does that mean some girl out there will find herself pregnant?" Sakura moped.

"Absolutely not! You didn't murder anyone!" Kero-chan yelled at her. "If anything happens of that sort, it would be Daidouji-san having a baby that the girl was intended to have."

"Reiko-chan is dead because of me! My actions killed her!" Sakura sobbed.

Kero-chan sighed. "Sakura-chan, what did you say to Yue and me before you reset the day?"

After a moment Sakura answered, "I don't remember."

"Oh, yes you do." Kero-chan pointed at the girl. "You told us to make sure that everyone didn't live for your memory, but for themselves. You didn't want anyone to shut themselves off to the world like Tomoyo-chan had when her mother died."

Sakura nodded shallowly, but said nothing.

"Now here you are, shutting yourself down because of the death of your classmate." Kero-chan patted the girl's cheek. "I know asking you to smile would be a bit much, but please remember your own words. You don't honestly think the girl would want you to dwell on her, do you? You need to live for yourself, your family, and even that brat."

"Syaoran is not a brat," Sakura retorted out of forced habit, with no heat behind her words. She then bowed her head. "What if he doesn't come back?"

Kero-chan checked himself to keep himself from saying only death would keep the kid away. "He'll be back. There's nothing in this world that will keep him away from you. He loves you, kiddo, don't forget that."

"Does he still love me after what I've done?" Sakura pressed.

"If he didn't, would he really have stayed with you all night long, holding you while you slept?" Kero-chan shook his head. "Look, I don't think that kid is good enough for you, but the fact is no one is good enough for you."

Sakura wanted to laugh at her guardian's joke, but she had no heart to do it with.

* * *

Tomoyo sat in her classroom, staring at the white flower on Reiko's desk and wishing it would just go away. Never before had she felt a flower to be so ugly as that one. It was a visible scar on the classroom of a classmate lost to death before her time. Worse, that flower had originally been meant for her mother.

Kero-chan had told Tomoyo about how she reacted to her mother's death. Instead of mourning and clinging to Sakura as she thought she would, instead she tried to sever all ties to her childhood and take over her mother's position in the business world. That in a very real sense, the Tomoyo that Sakura had known all her life had died that day too.

Tomoyo tried to smile as Sakura entered the classroom, but it was a supreme effort not to frown. That her best friend's face was locked in a mournful look didn't help her attempt.

Two boys immediately walked up to Sakura, with one of them asking, "Did you really see Ichimai die?"

Sakura took a step back from them and nodded. The boys, however, didn't recognize the girl's personal space as they took away the distance she had gain. The other boy then asked, "She was really hit by a truck?"

Sakura nodded again as her face grew paler, trying to keep her distance from the boys but they kept advancing on her, wanting all the horrid details.

"Was there blood and guts everywhere?" the first boy pressed.

Tomoyo had started to move to rescue the girl. If Syaoran had been here, they wouldn't have even tried asking her anything. However, Tomoyo didn't have to do anything, as the boys' questions were 'rewarded' with Sakura's final answer in the form of her suddenly throwing up on their legs and feet. Tomoyo couldn't help but take a small bit of delight at the two idiots backing away in disgust while the rest of the class laughed at the sight.

The homeroom teacher, Fukino, cleared his throat, announcing his presence. "Daidouji, take Kinomoto to the bathroom to get cleaned up, and if necessary, the nurse's office." He then glared at the boys. "You two will clean up the mess you just made, and you'll both get to mop the entire school tonight."

While the boys looked ready to protest, they knew doing so would only increase their punishment.

Tomoyo smiled for the first time since learning of the accident, and that was in thanks towards her homeroom teacher. With such a harsh punishment over pestering Sakura about Reiko's death, it would help keep others away from questioning her.

Tomoyo wrapped her arm around her best friend's back and began to guide her. "Come on, Sakura-chan, let's get you cleaned up."

Sakura nodded shyly, still not having said a single word.

As they left the room, they heard Fukino howling at the class that he wouldn't tolerate anyone pestering individuals about the recent deaths or Chiharu's marriage.

* * *

Rika sat in her private spot in the woods near the park. Her thoughts were on how small her classroom felt with Reiko gone and numerous absences due to the other deaths.

"Hello, Rika-chan," Terada greeted as he entered the secluded grove. "How was your day?"

Rika smiled sadly at him. "Hello, Yoshiyuki. Today was... quiet. Sakura-chan returned to class, but she's still rather upset. She barely said a word all day."

Terada nodded. "It would be upsetting to see someone die like that."

"It's more than that. Reiko-chan wasn't supposed to have died two days ago, but Tomoyo-chan's mother instead. Sakura-chan used her magic to change the outcome, and now she thinks she's a murderer." Rika sighed sadly. "I can't imagine what she's feeling, having chosen who lived and who died."

Terada stared blankly. "Kinomoto can do that?"

"Yes, but it used up a lot of her power to reset the day and change the outcome of it." Rika gazed at the ground. "And with Li-kun and Meiling-chan in Hong Kong now, we all fear she's functionally defenseless if there's another attack."

"We'll just have to keep our eyes out for her. Give her as much help as we can," Terada told her firmly.

"But I don't know how much help I can be beyond calling for the police," Rika replied weakly.

Terada touched her cheek lightly. "Being there for her may give her more help than the police can. Remind her that she isn't alone in facing her enemy or herself."

Rika nodded shallowly. "There is something else, Yoshiyuki. All these deaths happening made me realize how fragile we are."

Terada shook his head. "We are tougher than we look. Mihara-san was dying from cancer since you were one of my students. The doctors thought he would die almost two years ago. He beat their best prediction by almost a year."

"I know that, but a simple accident could take you away from me, or I could be killed in one of the attacks on Sakura-chan," Rika asserted.

Terada kissed her forehead. "Rika-chan, I promise you I won't be going anywhere. There is no need to rush into anything. When you turn sixteen, you'll make me the happiest man in the world."

Rika pouted. "That's still over a year away."

"I know. But it will be best for us to wait until then. And we won't have to hide our relationship anymore," Terada returned.

"I wish we didn't have to hide it at all," Rika whined.

Terada caressed her hair. "Rika-chan, for every honest relationship between a teacher and a student, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of teachers using their position to abuse children. As much as I want to abandon myself to you, I do not want our relationship to be seen like that. I want to keep our love honest and pure."

A knowing and somewhat naughty grin crossed Rika's face. "Until I'm sixteen and your wife, then you want to ravish my body with your devilish desires," she joked, causing her beloved to laugh.

* * *

Syaoran woke up in his own bed in his mother's home, but that held no joy for him. The entire reason he was at this house was because his sister had died saving the lives of others. And because of her death, he could not be with Sakura when his girlfriend needed him so desperately.

The boy rushed getting ready for the day, making sure he looked presentable to his extended family. He was thankful at least that because his sister died a hero, that they could hold her veiwing and funeral at their mother's home rather than some strange funeral palor. Fanren belonged here, and it saved him from making a long trip to some place he never wanted to go to.

Syaoran went to the back porch and saw that many of his relatives were present, some of whom had been there since the day before. He paid little heed to them as he walked to gazebo where a closed, but not sealed, coffin with three humps had been placed holding his sister's charred remains.

After offering up his prayers to his sister, Syaoran took the time to see his family. Feimei was putting on a show of mourning loudly, while Fuutie and Shiefa were fighting their tears. His frowned deepened seeing that his mother seemed to be caught in a one-sided argument.

"When did she know?" demanded the irate man, yelling at Yelan.

"Fengwu, please calm down," pleaded the woman with the irate man. "She couldn't have known about this accident."

"I won't calm down, Shanhui. You don't know this family," Fengwu retorted.

"Your grief is appreciated," Yelan told him stiffly. "I am not the one who will answer your questions."

"Don't try to deny anything! I saw her 'pile' of clothes. There were what, ten outfits in them? And just where is the red dress I bought her before she broke up with me?" Fengwu pressed.

"That should be obvious," Yelan returned evenly, showing no hint of emotion.

"She's WEARING it? Are you trying to make her a ghost? Red is for happy occasions, not for something like this!" Fengwu yelled.

Yelan had a shadow of a smirk. "Why are you asking me things you've already figured out?"

Fengwu screamed incoherently and stomped off with Shanhui following him in confusion.

Syaoran approached his mother and looked in the direction Fengwu had gone. "He deserves to know the full story, Mother."

"It was neither the place nor my duty to inform him," Yelan replied cryptically.

Now Syaoran wanted to scream.

* * *

Sakura held Chiharu tightly after the funeral for Mr. Mihara ended. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything more for you."

Chiharu shook her head. "You've done more than enough. You've helped me more than you can imagine."

Sakura sighed as she pulled away from her friend. "I'm sorry I can't make the wake."

"I understand." Chiharu grasped her friend's hands. "Just remember it's not your fault someone died. That was meant to be, even if it was a stupid accident."

"I can't help but feel responsible. I could've saved her," Sakura insisted.

"Sakura if you kept everyone alive, something really bad could've happened. Just be thankful this wasn't the worst possible outcome," Chiharu tried to encourage her.

Tears leaked from the corners of Sakura eyes. "I know that... That's why I didn't change it. I didn't want to lose Tomoyo-chan to grief so I chose Reiko-chan instead."

Chiharu nodded sadly. "Just so you know, if I had to make that choice, I would've done the same thing."

"I'll see you later, Chiharu-chan," Sakura promised.

"Be happy, Sakura-chan. Even though I know it's not easy, be happy," Chiharu suggested strongly before leaving her friend to meet with her family.

Sakura moved and sat down on a pew at the church, far away from Tomoyo and her mother who also remained at the church waiting for the next funeral. She could only vaguely remember being here for her mother's funeral. With her father being Shinto, she hadn't gone to mass nor followed the Christian faith she had been baptized into. With the larger than normal Christian community in Tomoeda, she knew a few things about that faith- but she was really much more a Shinto girl. In fact, with her magical cards, Sakura could be seen as being a Shinto Priestess- though she didn't know anything about filling such a role.

The girl's thoughts were interrupted when she heard Reiko's mother greeting of, "Hello, Sakura-chan."

"Hello, Ichimai-san." Sakura couldn't look the woman in the eye. "I'm sorry."

"There's no need for you to feel sorry." Mrs. Ichimai scowled. "It's that drunk that will be sorry if I ever get my hands on him." After a moment, the woman knelt down next to the girl. "That was a joke."

"Sorry. I haven't laughed in days," Sakura apologized. "And I'm really sorry I didn't save Reiko-chan. I saw the truck coming. I could've pushed her out of the way."

Mrs. Ichimai caressed the girl's cheek. "If you had, then this would've been your funeral, wouldn't it?"

Sakura didn't offer any reply beyond moving away from the woman's touch.

"I don't blame you for Reiko's death. I'm glad that you came to see her funeral. Reiko never had many friends, and it's nice to see she made at least one before she died," Mrs. Ichimai praised the girl.

Sakura began to sob hard, wanting to tell the woman of her horrible sin. That it hadn't been Reiko's time, but someone else's. Yet her selfishness prevailed in not wanting her magic to become public knowledge in fear of what others would do to her and her family. The hug she was now receiving from the dead girl's mother made her guilt all the more unbearable.

After Sakura's tears had run dry, Mrs. Ichimai asked, "Would you like to see Reiko?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "It's an open casket?"

Mrs. Ichimai nodded slowly. "Partially at least."

Sakura got up and walked to the antechamber where the last viewing of Mr. Mihara had also taken place. Approaching the small casket, the girl saw what Mrs. Ichimai had meant. From the chest up, Reiko's body was unmarred from the accident, however she knew the red cloth going from the bottom of the chest to the top of the closed half of the coffin was to cover up that Reiko didn't have a body below her chest. At least nothing that was intact.

Sakura blinked in surprise when one of her school's athletes walked up to Reiko's body and caressed the dead girl's cheek.

"I'm going to miss you," the skinny second baseman and star homerun hitter said sadly. "You were a true cheerleader, and I'll never forget the attention you gave me after I hit my first grand slam and won that game last year. I never thought any cheerleader really rewarded star players like you did, but you had taken it upon yourself to reward us. You motivated me to be the best I could be more than anyone else. I wish I knew you better. Knew what music you liked and crap like that. Not just what you looked like naked."

Sakura took a step away from the boy. That a half-dozen other athletes were behind him, nodding to his words had not escaped her. What had Reiko done with her short life?

"Just what do you think you're saying here?" hissed out an angry voice.

The baseball player turned around as the other athletes moved out of the way revealing an elderly man scowling at the boy. "Principal, you might not approve about how I cared for her, but I DID like Reiko-chan. She cared for our school's sports teams more than most of the players. And she gave us her support and attention far beyond what any of us expected. Don't go spitting on the love she had for our teams by the way SHE showed it. I'm here to honor what she did for us. I don't care if you think what she did for us was immoral or dirty, she did it for our school."

Principal gritted his teeth. "You will speak no more of this here or at her wake. If I hear one more comment about Ichimai's... devotion to sports, the person who says it will be off the sports teams."

The athletes clenched their fists, but nodded to the principal's words.

Sakura just stared at them. She couldn't understand what she had just heard. Seeing Reiko's mother crying off to the side made her want to slap each of the boys present.

* * *

"You know, Syaoran, you're not playing your part," Meiling jokingly groused, moving to stand next to her cousin as he looked over the distance.

Syaoran cast an annoyed look at the girl. "I'm not going to pretend to wail and moan for the loss of my sister. I see no use in such... acting. I'll mourn for her in my own way."

"Have you seen your nieces yet? They're very cute," Meiling asked.

Syaoran smiled a little. "I still find it funny that Feimei beat Sheifa and Fuutie to motherhood."

Meiling nodded. "Got her married before Sheifa as well."

"Mother did warn her about that," Syaoran recalled.

"Like that warning would've stopped her." Meiling giggled briefly before letting out a sigh and looked over Syaoran's sisters, each holding their own daughter. "It's good to see new life on such occasions as this."

"Life will go on, even without us," Syaoran mused. He then looked at the babies his sisters were holding as well. "I just hope I don't have all daughters."

"Better hope you just didn't jinx yourself." Meiling let out a loud laugh, causing a few of those present to scowl at her.

* * *

Sakura knew she wasn't the only person dismayed at the turnout for Reiko's funeral. Not counting herself, only three other girls from her school were here, Tomoyo and two members of the cheerleader squad. However, the low turnout for those who might have been her friends wasn't the cause of certain people being upset. It was the fact that there were two dozen boys, each a member of at least one sport's team, was present. It was spoken in hushed words, but many wondered how many of those boys had personally received Reiko's 'attention.'

The more Sakura learned about Reiko's life, the sadder she became. She couldn't imagine going through life without a close friend to talk with, to be so intimate with a guy she cared nothing for, to be on her own without any help. If she had been alone facing her challenges, she would've failed them.

"Sakura-chan, we're going to Reiko-chan's wake now. Did you want to come with us?" Tomoyo asked.

"I can't face them, knowing what I took from them." Sakura shook her head slowly. "I need time alone."

Tomoyo hugged her friend. "You'll never be alone. If you need me for anything, just call. I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me. I love you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura tried to smile weakly for her friend. "You'll always be my best friend, Tomoyo-chan. I'd give up anything for you."

"Even your innocence," Tomoyo whispered so lightly, her friend barely heard her.

"I'll see you later," Sakura promised.

Tomoyo nodded. "I'll call you tonight." She reluctantly let go of her friend and drifted off towards her mother.

Sakura's thoughts returned to Reiko, and trying to find meaning in the senseless accident that would take someone's life no matter what she did to stop it. The others didn't know it, but she had used The Dream on herself to find a way to save everyone. No matter what she did, this funeral would happen. Even if she kept the drunk from killing someone, then a different accident would have claimed Naoko's life. She didn't understand why someone had to die, it didn't seem fair.

"You've been here all morning," noted the young priest with scruff black hair and thin physique who had conducted both funerals.

"I knew both of them. Mihara-san was the father of one of my friends, and Reiko-chan was captain of my cheerleader squad... and I saw her die," Sakura explain tearfully.

"Ah, that can't be easy for you, knowing two people to pass away at once," the priest said sympathetically.

"Three," Sakura corrected. "My boyfriend's sister also died. Now he's in Hong Kong attending her funeral."

"I can guess you've got some questions. Go ahead and ask Father Morisato, and I'll answer you the best I can," the priest promised.

"Why do people have to die? Why couldn't any of them be saved?" Sakura pleaded.

Father Morisato frowned. "The Lord works in mysterious ways. He has a special plan for each of us, we just need to find the paths He set for us."

"But why did I have to choose?" Sakura demanded. "It didn't have to be Reiko-chan, but the other choices... I couldn't accept!"

Father Morisato looked very confused. "What do you mean you choose who died?"

"Somehow I knew the accident was going to happen ahead of time. I saved the life of my best friend's mother, but Reiko-chan died in her place. If I had saved her as well, then one of my friends would've been killed in a different accident," Sakura admitted.

"Dear, life is full of hard choices, though many aren't as obviously life affecting when you make them. Even if you made such a decision, the meaning and purpose of it may take years for you to truly understand why." Father Morisato smiled at the girl. "Remember that life is short and to make the most of it you can. Remember your past, but don't let yourself be enslaved by it. Also, don't go rushing into things before you're ready."

"You were almost sounding like my Dad, but that last comment sounded like my brother," Sakura observed with a sad smile, wanting to laugh at her comment, but couldn't.

Father Morisato chuckled lightly. "Good advice is universal." He then gazed intently at the girl. "Now I haven't seen you on Sundays, are you part of the Church?"

Sakura pouted. "Well, I was baptized, but honestly I'm more Shinto than Christian."

"Many of those who come here are both. Why don't you come here for Sunday mass and hear the good words of our Lord? It may help you find your answers," Father Morisato advised.

"I'll think about it," Sakura replied.

* * *

"I'm going to talk to our ancestors," Syaoran announced loudly to his mother.

Yelan briefly shook her head. "Do as you wish."

Syaoran nodded, and proceeded to go to the hidden path behind the gazebo. After walking on the winding mountain path, he came to a clearing which housed the family shrine where Fanren's ashes would soon be stored with countless generations of the Li family.

The young teenager turned around and called out, "I believe you have some questions, Fengwu."

The young Chinese man who had been Fanren's love entered the clearing. "You knew I was following you?"

"It wasn't hard to figure out you would follow me after you tried to question Feimei and Sheifa," Syaoran pointed out. "Here, at least, we'd have more privacy."

Fengwu blinked. "Will you answer me?"

Syaoran nodded, but didn't say anything more.

"When did Fanren know about the accident?" Fengwu desperately asked.

Syaoran turned and studied the family shrine. "Since she was four years old."

"WHAT? FOUR?" Fengwu cried out in surprise.

Syaoran scowled at the man. "Do keep it down. We aren't that far from the main house."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Fengwu demanded.

"Because if she had, you would not have left her side. At which point one of you would be crippled with burns and the other would still die." Syaoran clenched his fist. "You and Fanren were never meant to have a family together. Even if she had let herself be the mother of your child when you both were finishing high school, the baby would not have lived to see today."

"She had an abortion?" Fengwu questioned in horror.

Syaoran shook his head. "She faked a fight with you at the time she would've conceived your child. She didn't want to hurt you or bind you closer to herself."

Fengwu collapsed to the ground, tears flowing from his eyes. "Why did she do all of this? Why did she break up with me and then set me up with Shanhui?"

"Because Shanhui is the one who will bare your children and be your wife. Had Fanren not interfered, you would be alone now and not meet her until after you've mourned my sister's death for months. More than anything in the world, Fanren wanted you to be happy, regardless of the priced she had to pay," Syaoran admitted sadly.

Fengwu slammed his fists into the ground. "She didn't have to do this! She didn't have to bear this all alone! Was my love for her so meaningless that I couldn't be a part of her pain?"

Syaoran placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. "It was because you honestly loved her that Fanren got to live her life to the fullest with no regrets. You made her happier than anyone else. For that you have the eternal thanks from my entire family. Fanren may have chosen to keep herself from marrying you, but I still consider you my brother." He then entered the family shrine to give the man time to mourn in private.

The young man was still there when Syaoran exited the shrine minutes later.

Fengwu bowed his head. "Thank you for telling me. I feel unworthy of her love for all the sacrifices she made to protect me."

"Love is about the sacrifices one makes for the people they care about most," Syaoran replied, almost sounding older than his years.

"Will you get in trouble for telling me?" Fengwu wondered.

Syaoran shook his head. "Mother knew I was going to tell you, even though they wished to follow Fanren's request and not let you know."

Fengwu blinked. "If Fanren didn't want me to know, why did you tell me?"

"Because I might be in the same situation as you were." Syaoran looked away from the man. "My girlfriend also has the sight. She's been having horrible nightmares that she is either not letting herself remember or won't tell anyone what happened in them. She has already shown her willingness to die to save a friend, and I fear her dream may show her death. Something I would stop, no matter the cost to me." He clenched his fists. "Even if it meant missing Fanren's funeral and my own death to keep her alive."

* * *

The sun had set in Tomoeda and Sakura walked aimlessly on the concrete path along side Penguin Park. Two sets of eyes filled with mallicious intent were locked on the girl.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Coming Soon: Chapter 10 - Sakura Fights Alone With Syaoran still in Hong Kong, Sakura has to face her next challenge all by herself.

Listening to a Japanese song I got an idea for a Shadow of the Dragon opening using it. While I don't know the name of the song nor the full translation and meaning of it, this omake is the incomplete opening sequence I imagined for it.

* * *

Starts with a photo album being flipped through, showing Sakura and the others as they were at during the original Cardcaptor series, but with a few additional images, such as Sakura being a bridesmaid at Fuutie's wedding.

Camera pans away from the book to show Tomoyo at fifteen looking towards the door as a similarly aged Sakura appears. Image spins to show the classroom, which is different for each episode. Typically, Syaoran and Meiling are sitting near Tomoyo, Rika is gazing out the window, Naoko is holding her book with the role-playing club behind her with Asaba the nearest one to her, Chiharu is sitting on Takashi's desk, and Reiko stands alone off to the side. For this chapter Syaoran, Meiling, Chiharu, Takashi and Reiko would be missing with a flower on Reiko's desk. When the episode with Chiharu and Takashi were switched, Takashi would be the one sitting on the desk.

Brief images then cycle through. Sakura tripping and crashing into Syaoran, both are blushing but neither looks embarrassed. Meiling and Tomoyo sitting together, looking over at Sakura and Syaoran in the distance. Naoko pointing at the role-playing game with Asaba looking ashamed and the other boys laughing. Rika is sitting against a chain link fence with Terada sitting at the opposite side, and they are holding hands through the chain mesh. Takashi and Chiharu stand in front of a cross that is casting a shadow onto the grass covered ground.

A large shadow then descends over Tomoeda and Sakura leaps into the air with white wings. Yue and Cerberus joins her. A dark dragon like shape looms before them, as beams of dark energy spring from the ground. The trio splits off and using various attacks at the dragon. Syaoran and Meiling are shown fighting shadowy images on the ground. Working together, they send a single blast at the shadowy dragon, which makes it retreat, but does not destroy it.

Sakura then runs to her home with Syaoran, past Yukito's home with Touya scowling as the pair passes and Yukito seemingly holding Sakura's brother in check. Arriving at home, Fujitaka smiles at the couple.


	10. Sakura Fights Alone

A chilled wind blew over Tomoeda, causing Sakura to shudder as she walked past Penguin Park. She was tempted to walk over and sit on the swings, but it was already getting late and she should've been home hours ago. Her mind was still replaying the funerals, Reiko's especially with the sad revelations of the poor girl's short life.

Sakura turned as she felt someone approach her and found herself bodily picked up and thrown hard at the sidewalk. She dizzily looked up to see Satome looming above her.

"You don't have that foreign trash here to protect you this time," the bully sneered. "I'm going to take out all the pain and humiliation he and that stupid cunt of his cousin has done to me out on you." He reared his foot back and kicked her in the gut. "You might not survive it." He then chuckled evilly. "At least you won't want to live after I'm done with you."

Sakura felt like a rag doll as the burly teen grabbed her by the throat and pulled her off the ground. She struggled to breathe as he pulled her inside the park, dropping her behind a set of bushes. The voices of her cards called out to her, but they seemed to be out of reach. She wanted to grab hold of at least The Fight to get out of Satome's hold, but her ability to use magic suddenly eluded her.

Satome pulled out a dirty cloth and shoved it into the girl's mouth, making her want to throw up from the awful taste. She didn't even want to know what was on it.

Sakura's eyes widened in fright as the teen sat down on her, one knee pinning down her right arm. She flailed weakly with her left arm, trying to push him away as his hand painfully groped her left breast through her clothes.

"By the time I've finished fucking you, not even that foreign piece of shit will want you. Because of you and your stupid friends, I've lost what little I had. And I'm gonna take it from your whorish body," Satome's voice oozed venom as he said it. His hand slid between the buttons on her shirt and ripped it open, exposing her bra-clad chest. "Maybe not so 'whorish' with those little tits."

Sakura wanted to scream as he reached to push her bra away, but the nasty cloth in her mouth prevented her from making any loud noise. Suddenly her magic roared back, but before she could do anything with it, Satome went flying away from her as a cloaked man now stood above her, leg extended from a kick.

"What the fuck?" Satome spat. "Why can't I put that stupid bitch in her place without someone interfering?"

"Only the worst of scum uses sex as a weapon against women," the cloaked man's voice graveled out. "If she has wronged you, kill her."

Sakura blinked, wondering if she had truly been saved.

"Killing a girl is a waste of a perfectly good cunt. All girls are good for is making babies. So why not try to knock up whatever girl I care to?" Satome retorted angrily. "It was what my sperm donor did to my incubator."

Sakura blinked in utter confusion, while the man above her seemed to pause. "Repeating the cycle of hate and violence destroyed my clan. You do not have to follow in the footsteps of your father just because you were born out of rape," the cloaked man finally returned, causing Sakura's eyes to widen in realization of what the boy had meant.

"Girls are worthless and should know their fucking place!" Satome charged the cloaked man, fist raised to attack.

Sakura realized her precarious position lying on the ground in front of the man almost too late. She rolled over just before Satome would've stepped on her. She took a moment to pull the gag out of her mouth and coughed a bit before looking up to see a somewhat familiar scene.

Satome was only standing by virtue of the force of the blows the cloaked man was raining upon the teenager. With a final uppercut, Satome was launched into the air and was then struck by a devastating kick before he landed, sending him meters away.

The cloaked man strode purposefully toward the prone teenage boy. "Just so you remember not to violate girls with your touch." He grabbed the boy's right hand that had molested the girl.

Sakura looked away as Satome screamed in pain as the cloaked man cruelly broke the boy's hand. The boy's cries were then silenced as he was knocked unconscious.

"Kinomoto Sakura, do not thank me for your rescue," the cloaked man intoned. "Had this garbage merely intended to kill you, I would have continued to aid him. Now I am afraid that I must fulfill the job I was paid to do. Though I shall do it my way, and not the way... my employer requested. Meet me here in four days at midnight. We will fight to the death. If you do not show up then, I will simply murder you and your entire family, your mother's cousin and her daughter included."

Sakura's eyes teared up. "Why do you want to fight me?"

"I am an assassin. It was what I was paid to do." The cloaked man pulled down his hood showing a horribly scarred face. "And my clan has been fighting the mage clans for countless generations. While our fight has nearly annihilated my family, I cannot escape the blood oath sworn to fight those with magic." The man turned away. "Say goodbye to those you love and prepare for your funeral."

Sakura could only watch as the man walked away and disappeared in the shadows of the approaching night.

* * *

**Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 10: Sakura Fights Alone**

**_By: Lord Archive_**

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

Author's Warnings:

In accordance to movie rating system this series would be rated PG-13, and as for television would rate TV M for mature audience, but would be viewable with no edits save for some incidents of vulgar language. Due to subjective nature of the ratings, for FFnet this series has been labeled with a mature rating for those who have poor views of some of the subject matter contained within.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Cerberus and Yue flew towards Penguin Park, and stopped as they saw Sakura shambling her way towards home with one hand clutching her shirt.

"Sakura, what happened?" Cerberus cried out. "Who did this to you?" He growled dangerously, seeing bruises at her throat and suspecting more under her clothes.

Sakura shook her head. "I've got a problem... I've been challenged to a fight."

"This person who challenged you was the one who hurt you?" Yue demanded.

"No. But he's been... punished. He's not important." Sakura's unfocused eyes began to look clearer. "I was challenged to fight an assassin. If I don't fight him, he promised to kill my entire family, Tomoyo-chan and her mother included."

"Will you fight him?" Yue questioned, stressing the word 'fight.'

"I'll have to face him. I won't let anyone else die," Sakura returned.

"Including yourself?" Cerberus hissed.

Sakura nodded lightly. "Funerals are too sad."

"THAT'S an understatement," Cerberus chuckled softly.

* * *

Two junior high school girls applying make-up in the girls' bathroom before the start of school was not an uncommon event. Though Tomoyo wished this had been the first time with Sakura, her adventures, particularly Yue's judgement, had left Sakura with some noticeable bruises. She also wondered if this situation was rare or not for other girls, applying flesh toned cream to a girl's throat to hide bruises. All caused by a brutish thug who had better not cross the path of her bodyguards. Still, what her friend had said of the situation that caused these bruises left her commenting, "Sakura-chan, you're entirely too nice. You know you could've at least have reported Satome to the teachers."

"What would that have done? We weren't on school grounds. It'd be my word against his. And they might think I was the one who broke his hand," Sakura returned weakly.

Tomoyo sighed. Her friend was right. There really wasn't much that could be done to Satome about what he had tried to do. The school knew of his threats against them thanks to Meiling and they had done nothing about it. The police avoided dealing with minors committing crimes and with his mother being the prosecuting attorney for Tomoeda, it was unlikely anything would come from reporting the situation to a cop. She decided to change her topics. "What are you going to do about your challenge?"

"I'm going to have to train myself so I can defeat him," Sakura said firmly. "I don't want to make you or anyone else sad by failing."

Tomoyo smiled deeply. "It's good to hear you say that. We were afraid that you wouldn't fight if a challenge presented itself."

Sakura glared at the mirror in front of her. "I know I can never forgive myself for what I did to Reiko-chan, but I can't let that hold me down. I know I'm not alone when I fight, as whatever happens doesn't just affect me."

Tomoyo nodded with a tear in one of her eyes. "Yes, Sakura-chan. We're all with you. Everyone wants you to come out of this whole and healthy."

Sakura glanced at her friend. "I can't promise you I won't be injured. The guy is at least as good as Syaoran-kun and Meiling-chan."

"Yes, but does he have your amazing magic?" Tomoyo questioned.

Sakura pouted. "I'm not sure if _I_ will have my magic. Kero-chan thinks he's a Null-Mage."

"Null-Mage?" Tomoyo questioned.

Sakura nodded. "A person who is incapable of casting spells, but is able to negate the abilities of those who use magic."

Tomoyo's eyes widened in fright. "How do you beat such a person?"

Sakura shrugged. "That's why I'm training."

* * *

Sakura scrunched her eyes and prepared as her cloaked opponent's fist rocketed towards her prone position on the ground. The blow never came.

"That was pathetic!" Kero-chan cried out.

Sakura opened her eyes and saw The Create floating before her.

"She lasted two minutes thirteen seconds this time," Naoko noted while looking at her stopwatch. "It's an improvement, even if she still lost."

"Losing is not an option!" Kero-chan howled.

"I know that, Kero-chan." Sakura sighed. "I know I have to defeat him."

"Look, I know this is hard for you to do, but you have to go at him like you're trying to kill him," Kero-chan ordered.

"I won't kill him!" Sakura protested.

"You ain't going to kill him. He's going to block or dodge. If you don't attack as if you're going to kill him, he won't bother protecting himself and he will beat you to death! You need to wear him down, bruise his arms and legs, and make him tired. Then, and only then, will you get a chance to defeat him without inflicting serious injury or death," Kero-chan explained irritably.

Naoko nodded. "Remember that this opponent is fake. He's not real. And remember what the real one threatened to do. See how far your attempts at 'killing' him take you."

Sakura got to her feet and brushed off the dirt on her body. "Fine." She mustered her magic once again. "Create! Fight!"

Once again the cloaked figure of her challenger appeared before her, and she glowed softly with the power of The Fight card coursing through her body. Without a word the cloaked figure attacked, and the battle began once again.

"I'm surprised Tomoyo-chan isn't here to watch Sakura-chan practice," Naoko commented as she observed the battle closely.

"She said she had some business to attend to," Kero-chan replied without taking his eyes off the mock battle.

"Sakura-chan is starting to get a hang of the fight," Naoko pointed out.

"But her heart is still not into it," Kero-chan added. "She might do well if he's unarmed, but we don't know if the assassin has any weapons. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I wish that brat and the wench were here to help her with this. A Null-Mage would be right up Meiling's alley."

"Will Sakura-chan really be able to learn enough martial arts to help her against him?" Naoko wondered.

Kero-chan laughed hollowly. "This is less about learning martial arts and more about how to fight a determined opponent. This isn't a guy we can talk out of fighting her."

"But if she has no magic, how can she win?" Naoko pressed.

"She won't be without magic completely, it'll just be diminished based on how much power he has." Kero-chan paused in thought. "It's a lot like having two radios on. One is playing a music station and another is between channels with nothing but static. If the volume for the music is the same or less than the static, you won't hear it."

"But if the music station is louder, it can go over the white noise of the static and still be heard, but at a lesser volume than it's actually being played at," Naoko concluded. She then smiled. "And since Sakura-chan has the greatest amount of magic, she should be able to over power the static of the Null-Mage."

Kero-chan nodded gravely. "That is true, but we don't know how strong his powers are. He managed to sever Sakura-chan's connection to her cards when she wasn't ready for him. If his nullification powers are strong enough, she might not even be able to summon the elemental cards. Limiting her to only her base level cards like The Fight and The Jump, would make it impossible for her to win if she fights him like she has all her other challenges. She will have to hurt him."

"That may be the hardest thing for her to do." Naoko then grimaced before checking her watch. "Three minutes and twelve seconds."

"Moron! Don't just sit on your ass!" Kero-chan cursed. "Attack him like he's about to kill Tomoyo-chan in front of you! He already threatened to kill her!"

"I know! I know!" Sakura shot back.

* * *

Dinner passed at the Tsukishiro household without a word being said. Yukito tried to smile, but the scowl on his boyfriend's face made it difficult.

Setting his dish down roughly, Touya barked, "Are you going to tell me what's going on with Sakura or not? Where did all her bruises come from?"

Yukito bowed his head. "She is training to defeat an assassin that has the power to block magic."

Touya gritted his teeth. "So that's why I didn't feel her when she got injured."

Yukito nodded briefly, wishing Yue would take over this talk. "A Null-Mage is a difficult opponent for any magic-user, especially ones who rely heavily on magic to solve their problems."

Touya thought for a moment. "Was he the one who hurt Sakura?"

Yukito looked away and frowned deeply. "From what I understand, the Null-Mage actually saved Sakura from the one that hurt her. However, Sakura has not told us who did it, let alone what he was trying to do. Just that he was 'punished enough.'"

"No punishment is enough for hurting her," Touya grumbled under his breath. "Is there anything I can do for her? I can fight the guy for her."

Yukito sighed. "Toya, he's a Null-Mage. He would take away your extra perception, making you weaker in martial arts. There's no way you could stand up to him."

"I'm not going to sit around and do nothing!" Touya complained.

Wings sprouted from Yukito's back and engulfed his form. With a flash of light, the wings parted to reveal the angelic-looking Yue. "There is something you can do to help Sakura fight her challenge, unfortunately it'll mean you must sit out the actual fight. It should give her the best chance at victory."

"What is it?" Touya demanded, not liking the idea of not being there to help Sakura fight at all. What Yue suggested did not sit well with him, but he would do it for his little sister.

* * *

His employer thought him a fool for demanding the battle to be a formal challenge to the death. He held a different view. Too many of his clan embraced the hatred of magic so deep, they were consumed by it. Killed by rushing at their targets and forgetting that mages rarely relied on magic alone. Had he attempted to kill this girl in her sleep as his employer wanted, the girl's dreams would likely warn her and he'd find himself at the wrong end of a trap- quite possibly with her boyfriend's sword in his heart. By making it a formal challenge, the girl knew of the fight and her precognition would be less likely to activate against him. Precognition, after-all, informed the mages of the unknown, not the potential of what was known.

His employer did have a few requests that he did follow, primarily when to have the fight. With the girl's boyfriend away, she was much easier prey.

The man blinked as three girls and a boy entered the park and sat down at the swings. It wasn't their presence that was surprising but the fact the girls brought snacks with them and the boy carried some drinks as if they were about to watch a show. Then a man arrived, hiding behind some trees. And to make things even stranger, a limousine pulled up and his target's cousin exited with a half-dozen women, all dressed in business suits and wearing sunglasses, each holding a video camera.

Stealthfully, the man approached the girl with long, dark hair and wearing a blue sundress. His voice hissed, "What is the meaning of this?"

"You must be the Null-Mage," Tomoyo replied seemingly unconcerned. "Sakura-chan doesn't get a chance to fight like this often, so I'm taking full opportunity to film her in all her glory."

He pulled out a long dagger, with the blade starting at the top of his fist and continuing dozens of centimeters past the bottom of his hand. "She will meet a gory end, and I cannot allow images of me killing her."

"I would think I'd have more to worry from the mage clans if I suddenly produce proof of magic being real. At least with you, it'd be quick," Tomoyo countered in a strangely calm voice. "Of course, if you wish to use that knife on me now, you won't live long enough to face Sakura-chan."

A click from behind the man told him the girl's bodyguards weren't armed with just cameras. He scowled at the girl as he put the knife away. "Do not interfere in the challenge. If you or anyone else does, Tomoeda will be painted red with blood."

Tomoyo nodded. "Do make it a good battle. I want this to be her greatest fight yet!"

"You are a strange girl," the man observed before fading into the shadows.

It wasn't long before the target made her appearance. She was strangely dressed in what looked like a cross between a martial arts dougi and a school uniform. The cotton pants looked ordinary enough if you didn't count the stars embroidered on them. The gi top, however looked more like a blouse that flared out into a skirt below the waist. The giant red bow on her chest seemed entirely pointless. Her magical staff was ridiculously long, standing twice her height. However, the only concern to him was that the girl wore cloth and metal gauntlets along with painted combat boots. The entire image made the Null-Mage wonder if she was taking this fight seriously.

Sakura pouted as she saw the numerous people at the park. "This isn't a show!" she whined.

"There's no way we're going to pass up watching a full challenge," Naoko retorted from the swings.

"Did you know that challenging people to duels first started in Egypt using stone playing cards?" Takashi asked.

"This isn't the time or place for that!" Chiharu chastised her husband.

"Let's just make sure no one else shows up." Sakura held out her staff and used it like a pen writing in the air before her. "Repel those who don't know of my magic!"

"If only you had arrived before your friends and included them," the assassin growled as he strode towards the open play area of Penguin Park. "Let's begin, shall we?" He pulled out a pair of knives.

Sakura didn't move away from him so much as float away, riding the edge of his nullification presence. "The Freeze!" she cried out, sending coiling pillars of ice towards the man. Near Sakura the ice serpentine columns were meters thick, but the closer they got to the assassin the thinner it got. Some of the ice managed to touch the man as he dodge his way around the ice trying to catch him, but it was too thin to do more than make him feel colder. The futility of the act was obvious, and the girl returned the power into a card.

The assassin was not pleased with this development. The girl's magic shouldn't have come close to hitting him nor be nearly this powerful. He had faced adult sorcerers in their prime and ancient magicians that were nothing more than magic, yet their spells never came close to hurting him. He scowled, suspecting his employer left out some important information on this girl.

The assassin then grinned as the girl called back another card and her feet finally touched the ground. He lunged at her, daggers ready to rend away her flesh.

"Sword!" Sakura called out, and looked quite surprised that the middle or the staff broke into two. In her left hand was now a fiery sword with sun emblem on the hilt, while her right hand wielded an ice-blue blade the bore the image of the moon. "I should've seen that happening," she muttered to herself as she blocked the daggers with the swords.

"You're using magic to know how to fight with your swords?" the assassin asked in surprise.

"Kind of," Sakura replied. Her use of the swords was completely defensive. Only using them to block the daggers, and trying to disarm him.

"You are a fool if you don't try to kill me as I won't stop until you are dead," the assassin promised.

"Isn't there someway we can both walk away from this?" Sakura pleaded.

"You are a mage and I was paid to kill you. There is nothing you could offer me that would make me stop," the assassin vowed, swinging his blades towards her neck.

Sakura blocked with her weapons. "Kero-chan! Yue!"

The assassin yelped in surprise as one sword erupted in flames while the other sprouted crystals. He dropped his now melted dagger and threw the crystal encased one at the girl. The mass of crystals hit her face, but left no obvious damage. He then blinked in surprise. "What happened to your bruises?"

Sakura pouted as she moved away from the Null-Mage, the swords connecting and returning into her long staff. "My brother made me transfer my injuries into him."

The assassin was increasingly not pleased with this. This was beginning to look like he had been set up. Fighting a girl with more magic than any mage he faced before who even had a limited healing power. He had seen mage-healers before, but they had little in the way of offense. That this girl could fight and heal put her far above any mage he had even heard of. Still the girl was a mage, and he would kill her. Falling back on his martial arts, he attacked her with his bare hands.

"Fight!" Sakura called out, and began to use her staff as a giant quarterstaff. She used its reach to keep him away from her, often attacking his legs in attempts to make him fall.

The assassin focused his nullification on the girl, dimming the benefits of magically induced martial arts knowledge. Years of experience and fighting proved more useful than raw knowledge. While the staff did hit and bruise him, he was not going to fall to her.

After a minute of trying to get pass the staff, the girl did a surprising move. She retreated and used the staff to pole-vault herself to the top of the giant penguin slide. Her marital arts skills returned to being a card, she then called out, "Dash!"

The assassin growled angrily. The girl somehow knew where his nullification powers extended to. She would get far enough away to use her magic on herself, where it was harder for him to negate. And if her staff wielded with martial arts knowledge had been annoying before, now she was a moving blur. Her accuracy with hitting him was much reduced, but he had little ability to dodge or block her speeding attacks. All he could do was whether her attacks while keeping his negation ability on her as best he could.

After a minute of the speeding assault, Sakura returned to her perch on top of the penguin slide. She was panting heavily, but so was the assassin. She then pointed her staff at him. "Ensnare my foe in rock, Earthy!"

The assassin paused waiting to see where the attack would come from, which left him open as the ground beneath him surged up and grabbed hold of his arms and legs. He struggled in his rocky snare to no avail. He focused his nullification around him, but the rock didn't budge.

"I'm not using magic to maintain the rocks, so you can save your strength," Sakura informed him.

"I've been set up, haven't I? This isn't your magic alone, is it? You've got mages helping you, don't you?" the assassin spat out like a curse.

"Oh, I'd say you were set up, but not by Sakura-chan," Tomoyo intoned. "She's not even of a mage clan."

The assassin laughed harshly. "Don't play me for a fool. The Amamiya clan of her mother's birth originally came to power when a Shinto priest inherited his shogun's lands under questionable circumstances. Not to mention the girl's grandmother was from the Aotsuki clan, famed for having some of the strongest Shinto priestesses and demon slayers ever known in Japan. And who is to say about her father, left orphaned and without a name?"

Sakura was blinking dumbly at the assassin, while her cousin looked a bit startled. "You've certainly done your homework."

"Not enough, obviously," the assassin growled. "What sort of magic are you using? I've never seen reusable prayer spells before, let alone ones of with that much power."

Sakura was about to speak when her cousin motioned for her to remain silent. The dark haired girl's gaze hardened. "That is unimportant. I'd think telling us about your employer who set you up would be more pressing."

"Never met the person. I was contacted through typed letters," the assassin retorted.

"Would you keep with that story after I tell you the one who employed you certainly has magic?" Tomoyo pressed. "I can show you proof of other attacks on Sakura-chan that were magical in nature. It's quite obvious that he wanted both of you to kill each other."

"I wish I did know who the bastard is now so I could kill him myself!" the assassin snarled.

"I was afraid you'd say that." Tomoyo nodded her head.

The assassin felt a sharp pain at his neck and the world faded to black.

* * *

"Thank you, Yukito-san." Sakura bowed towards him at the doorstep of the Tsukishiro home. "I'm sorry for all the trouble."

Yukito smiled sweetly. "It was no trouble at all for me. I was more a spectator than anything else."

Sakura pouted. "But if I had lost while Yue was in the staff, you'd have..."

"I know. I'd have disappeared for good. You needed his power, and I fully agreed to lend our strength to you," Yukito reminded. "Being in your staff was the safest way we could've helped you."

"I know. And now my brother is being such a pain," Sakura muttered.

"Toya wants to protect you, but you've moved so far beyond his ability to aid you." Yukito sighed. "Let him protect you in the small ways he can."

"But those aren't his injuries to deal with," Sakura huffed. "And he better not 'protect' me from Syaoran-kun."

"Love can be quite frustrating, can't it?" Yukito observed. "You both want to help each other, not willing to see the other hurt even if it means taking pain onto yourself. You want to make sure he's healthy, and he doesn't want to lose you because you have found love."

"I guess. But oniichan really shouldn't keep my injuries. I'm the one who got hurt, so I should be the one to deal with them," Sakura complained.

"It's all right, Sakura-chan. It was just a few bruises and scrapes. He'll be perfectly fine in a few days," Yukito promised.

Sakura nodded reluctantly. "I should be getting home now. Good night."

"Good night." Yukito waved as the girl left.

"My brother can be so annoying!" Sakura huffed angrily as she stomped her way from the Tsukishiro household. "He won't let me take back my injuries."

Tomoyo shook her head. "He is just protecting you."

"I know, but those injuries were mine to deal with, not his!" Sakura protested.

"I say you should give those bruises to Satome," Tomoyo suggested.

"No way I can do that without revealing magic to him," Sakura returned.

"That is a problem." Tomoyo sighed. "Do keep your guard around him. I don't think he's given up at hurting us."

Sakura didn't want to pursue that line of thought, especially as she had not given her brother all her bruises as the ones on her breast still remained. "What happens to the assassin?"

Tomoyo smiled devilishly. "He's wanted for a few counts of murder. Mother has hired private investigators to dig up as much evidence they can to give to prosecutors so that they'll have all the information they need to keep him in prison for the rest of his life. He may be a Null-Mage, but there won't be any magic holding him there."

"Good," Sakura nodded, but still didn't seem entirely happy.

Tomoyo could guess that the assassin was the least of the things on her best friend's mind. "I do have some good news for you. Li-kun and Meiling-chan will be back tomorrow afternoon."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Really?"

Tomoyo nodded. "It's a shame they'll return while we're at school."

Sakura dazed off into space. "Syaoran-kun is coming back."

* * *

Coming Next:  
Chapter 11 - Sakura and the Guilt of Living Death still lingers over Sakura and her friends, despite their attempts to put it all behind them.

* * *

"I want to play!" six-years-old Meiling whined at the boys who were setting up a soccer game.

"You can't play. You're a girl!" one of the boys protested as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I know the rules! And I bet I'm better than any of you!" Meiling shouted at them.

The boys began to laugh at her, and tears began to form in her eyes.

"Girls can't play sports! Everyone knows that!" the boy insisted.

"Prove it," Meiling's elderly grandfather demanded of the boy. "Give my granddaughter an appropriate physical challenge so she can show you being a girl means nothing."

Meiling began to grin, until the boy began to say, "Take a piss stand-"

Meiling's grandfather was suddenly next to the boy, slapping the kid's mouth. "An **_appropriate_ _physical_** challenge. Proof of whether she can play sports, not a chance for you to be perverted."

"I could've won that challenge any way. I've done it before," Meiling huffed.

The girl's grandfather groaned before turning his attention back to the boy. "Now pick a challenge."

"Fine, one-on-one soccer. We each take turns trying to score a goal against the other," the boy announced.

Meiling's grandfather nodded. He watched with pride as the one-sided contest began and ended quickly, three points to none. An easy victory for one born to the Li clan.

"Boys should never underestimate girls. I have the blood of the greatest female warrior, Mulan, in me!" Meiling announced happily.

Some of the boys laughed, some wondered if it was true, while Meiling's grandfather frowned.


	11. Sakura and the Guilt of the Living

Syaoran paced around his Hong Kong bedroom. The waiting was killing him. The midnight hour was soon approaching, and Sakura's battle against the assassin had begun almost an hour before. When he had learned of the challenge, he had been ready to leave for Tomoeda immediately, but his mother had forbidden him from going. His mother's promise that Sakura would be fine did not soothe his nerves at all.

The phone rang and Syaoran pounced at it immediately. "Is she okay?"

"Hello to you too, Syaoran," Meiling groused from the other end of the phone. "Kinomoto came out of that fight with nothing more than a small bruise to her cheek."

Syaoran slumped onto to his bed and breathed a long sigh of relief. "Thank goodness she's okay. What happened to the assassin?"

"Daidouji's bodyguards handed him over to police as he was wanted for a few counts of murder," Meiling answered, sounding slightly irritated.

Syaoran nodded. "Good. Did Daidouji mention anything else?"

"That's all I got from her email. We'll get the full story from them tomorrow. Talk to you later. Bye," Meiling informed and hung up as soon as he bid her a 'good night.'

Syaoran set the phone to the side before picking up the doctored picture Sakura had given him for Christmas a few years ago. He looked intently at Sakura's image. "Tomorrow," he promised.

"You really know how to make a girl feel ignored, little brother."

Syaoran jumped off his bed. He then bowed at the transparent form of his dead sister. He had been expecting her appearance on the night one week after her death, and that was the main reason why he had not been allowed to return to Tomoeda. "Sorry, Fanren... I..."

"You're going to make me an aunt before Mother is ready for it," Fanren teased.

Syaoran flushed. "I... er... we..."

"Yes, yes, I know. You haven't gotten that far... YET." Fanren giggled.

Syaoran shook his head fiercely. "I'm sorry I didn't spend more time with you before..."

Fanren shrugged. "Who wants to spend time around a dead girl walking? You knew that I would pass away while I was still young. I understand. It certainly kept me from making more friends as I didn't want to leave them behind."

Syaoran slouched. "So what happens now?"

Fanren grinned. "I could tell you, but that would ruin the surprise." She then looked at him seriously. "I want you to keep my brush and have it on you at ALL times."

"Shouldn't mother have it?" Syaoran wondered, considering a girl's hairbrush was one of the most important things given after her death.

"Trust me, little brother, my brush is intended for you, and you alone." Fanren's ghostly form began to fade. "See you later."

Syaoran blinked in surprise as his dead sister vanished. Not 'good-bye' but 'see you later?' He shook his head. Talking to a precog about the future always frustrated him.

* * *

**Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 11: Sakura and the Guilt of Living**

**_By: Lord Archive_**

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

Author's Warnings:

This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

The smile on Sakura's face was a bit thin and her eyes were still dull, but life was slowly returning to the girl's face. Tomoyo knew her best friend still felt guilt over Reiko's death, and probably always would, yet she was starting to let go of the pain. Of course the prospect of seeing the one you love would make anyone happier.

"Come on, Tomoyo-chan! I want to see if he's home yet!" Sakura insisted, almost prancing towards the stairs.

Tomoyo smiled gently. The wonders of what love can do to lift a person. She then blinked as Sakura turned suddenly. Her eyes widened as her best friend started to fall, straight down the stairs. "SAKURA-CHAN!"

Sakura bounced down the steps before coming to a rest at the landing. She groaned as she sat up, rubbing her arms tenderly.

Tomoyo almost fell down the stairs in her rush to get to her friend. "Are you all right?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah. Guess I was too excited to see Syaoran-kun. Sorry."

Tomoyo gazed intently at her friend. "Do you need to see the nurse?"

"No, I should be all right." Sakura smiled sheepishly. She waved her hand in denial, showing a bandage on her finger where she had cut herself on a knife in home economics. "I've just been a bit of a klutz today."

Tomoyo didn't know if she should believe her friend. Sakura seemed to look at something briefly, but Tomoyo wondered if it was her imagination as nothing was there. Though, Sakura had been a bit off since Reiko's death, which the near rape and the battle against the assassin certainly didn't help. Hopefully the return of the girl's boyfriend would help calm down her beloved friend.

* * *

The front door opening and the joyful cry of "Syaoran-kun!" was all the warning the boy got before having his girlfriend latch onto him with a fierce hug. Meiling merely shook her head at the sight while Tomoyo stood at the door with her camera focused on the couple.

Returning the hug, Syaoran told her gently, "I'm home."

Sakura seized up as her boyfriend accidentally brushed against one of her fresh bruises.

Syaoran broke the embrace and looked at her intently. "What happened? I thought you were barely hurt by that assassin."

"I'm fine!" Sakura insisted. "I've just been a royal klutz today."

Syaoran glanced skeptically behind his girlfriend at the dark haired girl with the video camera.

"The cut is from home economics, the bruises are from falling down a flight of stairs," Tomoyo informed with a touch of concern in her voice.

"See, nothing to worry about." Sakura grabbed his hands. "I'm so glad you came back."

Syaoran sighed. "I wish I never had to leave in the first place. How are you feeling?"

Sakura pouted and she looked away from him. "I think that goes without saying."

Syaoran nodded sadly. "I'd say the same holds for me."

Sakura's eyes started to dart around the room, she then clutched her boyfriend tightly. "S-something is h-h-here?"

The boy gave a pained glance at his cousin. "Meiling, the brush."

Meiling shrugged and went into Syaoran's room. A moment later she returned with a broken hairbrush and held it out towards the trembling girl.

Sakura reluctantly let go of her boyfriend. She reached for the brush and yanked her hand back as if she was shocked with electricity when she touched it. Hesitantly, she reached for it again, taking the broken brush into her hands. She collapsed to her knees, tears forming in her eyes. "Fanren-chan..."

Syaoran nodded. "My sister isn't done with this world yet. She didn't tell me, but it seems there's something I'll need her help with in the future."

"I'm sorry I didn't get to say 'good-bye' to you," Sakura told the brush.

"It's not 'good-bye' yet, but a new 'hello,'" was they spectral reply.

Sakura promptly screamed and passed out, making Meiling and Tomoyo wonder what just happened though both had a good guess.

* * *

Concern for Sakura grew the following day. While she seemed fine arriving at the school, by the time gym started she had collided with some desks and added a nasty bruise to her hip. Syaoran wished he could've watched Sakura during gym, but they had completely separate drills for that class.

Tomoyo worriedly returned to class alone. She did not go to her seat, rather stayed at the door looking down the hall.

"Where's Sakura?" Syaoran asked.

"Taking a shower. She kept tripping and falling, landing in the mud a couple times," Tomoyo informed, still watching for the girl.

"Do you think she's doing it on purpose?" Syaoran asked intently.

Tomoyo pouted. "I want to say 'no.'"

Meiling walked up to them. "You don't think Kinomoto is that stupid, do you? Why would she intentionally hurt herself?"

"Guilt," Syaoran answered simply.

"Sakura-chan may feel she needs to be 'punished,'" Tomoyo added. "Though I hope this is a subtle attack on her."

"Not likely. Masking your aura to cast a quick flair of magic is a lot easier than a prolonged spell. I don't think her enemy is willing to let us analyze any spells," Syaoran explained.

"I wouldn't discount anything when it comes to Kinomoto," Meiling groused.

Thankfully the next class was lunch, otherwise Sakura would've been late. The girl limped her way to her into view of her classroom. She smiled sheepishly at her boyfriend as he rushed to her. "Sorry that I'm a bit late."

"Are you okay?" Syaoran asked heatedly.

Sakura didn't answer as she looked at the floor. Her eyes suddenly darted to the side.

Syaoran wondered if Meiling or Tomoyo had just pushed him as he found himself falling on top of Sakura. He did what he could to control their fall as they both landed on the hallway floor. His eyes widened seeing his hand go through her school blouse, his fingers telling him there was only bare flesh. He leapt off her, his face burning red as he gazed at her. "Wha... WHAT?"

Sakura likewise flushed, her hands moving to cover herself as if she was completely naked.

"What's going on?" Tomoyo asked, moving up to them with Meiling right behind her.

"I... I couldn't find my clothes," Sakura admitted in embarrassment. "I had to use the Illusion."

Syaoran's face took a glazed expression, his pants suddenly becoming tighter.

Tomoyo clapped her hands. "Well, I can take care of part of your problem!" She helped her best friend to stand up. "We'll meet up with you at our usual spot."

Meiling nodded, while Syaoran's eyes never moved off his girlfriend.

* * *

Meiling frowned at the melancholy group of friends. Sakura's lingering guilt along with Syaoran and Chiharu mourning the loss of beloved relatives was definitely the cause of the conversations being rather dull. Meiling certainly missed her cousin, practically raised as sisters, but living in gloom was not the best way to remember someone who passed away. Sakura's growing list of possibly self-inflicted injuries was particularly troubling. Not to mention the fact she was wearing one of Tomoyo's battle costumes under her illusion.

Meiling wondered what she could do to get everyone out of their funk. She began to grin after noticing two girls dancing to a radio playing music.

"Daidouji, come with me for a second," Meiling grabbed the girl before she could reply.

"What is it that you want, Meiling-chan?" Tomoyo wondered.

"I think I know a way to help our friends. We should all go out to a dance club and have some fun," Meiling announced earnestly.

Tomoyo pouted. "Why didn't you just suggest it to everyone?"

"Because if I had, Kinomoto and Yamazaki-chan would've shot it down without considering it. Together we can get Syaoran and the rest of them to agree to go. They really need to do something to get their minds off last week," Meiling pressed.

Tomoyo paused in thought. "I wish it was something other than dancing, but a dance club may be just the place to get Sakura-chan to let go and be herself."

Meiling turned toward her friends. "Syaoran, get over here!" Her cousin responded with some grumbling as he got up and walked toward her. Before he could say anything to her, she told him, "You're going to ask Kinomoto to go out dancing Saturday."

"Dancing?" Syaoran looked at her strangely. "Why?"

"We all need to do something, Kinomoto especially. Maybe a group outing will get her mind off last week, even if it is for a little while." Meiling then teasingly added, "Besides, I'm sure she'd love to know how light you really can be on your feet."

Syaoran lips thinned out as he gazed at his girlfriend, who was now staring up at their classroom as if she was seeing something. He glanced up there, and saw only light reflecting off the windows. "Fine." He walked toward his beloved. "Sakura, how about we all go out dancing this Saturday?"

Sakura pouted at her boyfriend. "I don't know..."

"Come on, Kinomoto, Daidouji and I are going too!" Meiling turned toward her other friends. "You all can come as well!"

"Sure, sounds like fun," Takashi quickly agreed.

Chiharu glared at her husband. "I'm not sure I want to go."

"It's a group outing and a chance to have fun. Besides, you only have one house to clean now," Takashi pointed out. "Don't you want to see me dance?"

Sakura gazed at the married girl. "I'll go, if you go Chiharu-chan."

"Fine, I'll go." Chiharu huffed.

Rika glanced towards the elementary school. "I'm afraid I'll have to bow out. I've got a date with my boyfriend and he can't be seen with me in a dance club like that."

Naoko shook her head. "I'm going to a sci-fi convention with Shinji-kun. Neither of us danced well during gym, so a dance club would be an exercise in pain and embarrassment."

"First date with Asaba, huh?" Meiling shrugged. "That's still six of us to go dancing. That's good enough."

Sakura pouted. "I don't think I have anything to wear to a dance club." She repressed a groan when Tomoyo's eye lit up, yet was also relieved to see her friend smile like that again.

"I'm going to make you an outfit that'll knock Li-kun out!" Tomoyo promised.

* * *

Terada usually arrived to his private rendezvous spot after Rika, mostly because his work as a teacher kept him busy at the elementary school longer. Especially as he was the gym teacher and currently without a homeroom, so unless he got a 'volunteer' to help clean the gymnasium, it was left to him to do it. Today's volunteer was a fifth grade boy who decided to throw a mud ball at a girl.

Terada chuckled a little. While the boy might not understand why he did it, the teacher had a strong guess. He wasn't about to tell the boy hitting a girl with mud was not the way to get her attention. Considering how fast Rika and her friends grew up, he didn't want to risk learning in a few years that the boy was doing more than dating the girl.

"Hello, Yoshiyuki," Rika greeted him with a brief kiss. "How was your day?"

"Fine. I was just thinking about a boy doing a good job making sure the girl he likes never talks to him," Terada told her with a smirk. "Hit her with a mud ball."

Rika giggled. "Good thing I never had to worry about that."

Terada caressed her cheek. "And how was your day?"

"Well, it's not nearly so quiet anymore with Meiling-chan and Li-kun back. Though we're really starting to worry about Sakura. Her klutz attacks have been getting out of control. She was barely touched by that assassin, and now she's a walking bruise." Rika sighed with frustration. "We don't know what to do for her."

Terada nodded. He was rather thankful that the assassin had given his challenge ahead of time, allowing him to watch the magical battle. He certainly no longer doubted magic. However, Sakura's current problem might not be magical at all. "Do you think she's intentionally hurting herself?"

Rika looked away uncertainly. "I'm not sure if it's intentional..."

"But her injuries might be self-inflicted." Terada nodded sadly. "It's understandable her guilt would need some form of outlet. She might need professional help."

"Well, if going to a dance club this Saturday doesn't help her, we may just drag her to a psychologist," Rika vowed.

* * *

Syaoran didn't particularly like it that Naoko was following him, even if she knew about his magic and that she wanted to observe him to get ideas for her novella. However, he wasn't going to tell her no, as this was probably the most 'detective work' his magic was likely to do any time soon.

Carefully walking through the empty hallways of the junior high school, Syaoran focused his magic towards finding Sakura's distinct aura, though thankfully he wasn't looking for her. He had already found her previous classrooms, and now knew which desks and seats she had used in seventh and eighth grades.

"How far could her clothes have gotten from the locker rooms?" Naoko wondered.

"That's what I'd like to know," Syaoran grumbled. They had started their search there. Unfortunately, he had not found her missing uniform and gym clothes inside the school.

"Do you think she 'erased' them?" Naoko wondered.

"I don't think she'd do that," Syaoran countered. At least outside there was less to interfere with his senses and they could move more quickly. He paused in front of the garbage dumpster. He wasn't sure if he felt something, but playing safe he opened the lid and the feeling of Sakura's lingering aura grew noticeably.

"It's not in there, is it?" Naoko wondered.

Syaoran reached in and pulled out a clear garbage bag filled with discarded bits of food. The foul odor from it quickly drew a swarm of flies. "Her clothes are in this bag." He then gazed intently into the contents.

"Just toss it back in. She can get new ones," Naoko insisted, looking rather pale with one hand covering her mouth.

Syaoran sighed and dropped the bag back in. Too many people had touched the food waste to see if someone else had handled Sakura's clothes. Smothered in garbage, he doubted pulling out the uniform would be of any help. "Well, we found the where, but not the why or how."

"Could this really be Sakura's own doing?" Naoko asked.

Syaoran glanced at the dumpster. "I certainly hope not."

* * *

"Why are we going dancing?" Chiharu wondered. "There's a lot to do here."

Takashi folded his arms. "Besides being a chance to go out with our friends and having a real date?"

"I don't think Tomoyo-chan and Meiling-chan would like being the third couple," Chiharu pointed out grumpily.

"Li-chan might not, but I wouldn't be too sure about Daidouji. There's been rumors about her," Takashi pointed out.

Chiharu wagged her finger at her husband. "Just because Tomoyo-chan has never accepted a date with a boy doesn't mean she likes girls. I've turned down a lot of dates, and not because of you."

"Whatever." Takashi shrugged. "You still need to get away for a little bit. We don't have any children yet, and we're definitely young. We should be going out and enjoying ourselves."

Chiharu looked away. "I'm not really feeling up to have some fun."

"If you stay here, you never will." Takashi put his hand on his wife's shoulder. "Look, I know you miss your father. You always will. But you can't mourn him forever. He wanted you to be happy. Besides, if you don't go, it'll be harder to drag Kinomoto there, and you know she needs to go more than you do."

Chiharu pouted. "Fine. But what should I wear? I've never been to a dance club before."

Takashi grinned devilishly. "Something sexy."

Chiharu poked her husband's chest. "You just want to get lucky."

Takashi laughed. "That's half the point of going to a dance club!"

* * *

Meiling rode in the Daidouji family's limousine to Kinomoto's house, to aid in bringing Sakura to the dance club. She had opted for a daring dark green Chinese silk dress accented with white jasmine flowers that didn't even reach to mid-thigh. She glanced at Tomoyo, wondering why the girl seemed to be a bit on edge. "You know that we may be going to some dance club, but it doesn't mean you have to dance."

Tomoyo, wearing a modest purple dress if you didn't count the fact that if she showed any more cleavage, it wouldn't cover her breasts, pouted at her foreign friend. "It's not dancing that has me worried. I've never been to a rave before and didn't know the usual... cost for getting in."

Meiling blinked in confusion. "What? It's not some entry fee?"

"When I mentioned it to my bodyguards I wanted to go, they explained to me the problem with just deciding to go to one." Tomoyo looked away. "Going to a dance club, particularly a good rave club, is very popular in Tokyo. Too popular. Rather than only admit people on a first come, first serve basis, most of the best places to dance sold memberships to get in. However, guys bought up most of the open memberships."

Meiling frowned. "Does that mean we won't be able to go in?"

Tomoyo shook her head. "One of my bodyguards is a member of a rave, so we can get in as her guest. Though I'm a touch worried about how girls usually have to get in."

Meiling raised an eyebrow. "If they need a guy to invite them, I'd hate to know what 'price' he would ask from them."

Tomoyo nodded. "You would. The cost is usually sex, and sometimes not with just the guy who invited her." She then sighed. "I know part of the reason you want to go is to find a potential boyfriend, but with many of the guys there expecting sex tonight..."

"I'll have to be very careful." Meiling folded her arms irritably. "Is it really that bad?"

"I wouldn't know." Tomoyo shrugged. "I've never been to one before. My bodyguard said the one she goes to is better than the other ones for people who want to just dance."

Arriving at the Kinomoto home, the two girls left the limousine and went into the house.

"Hello," Tomoyo greeted Sakura's father at the door, holding a small clothing box.

"Hi. Don't mind us. We're here to kidnap your daughter," Meiling joked.

"Hello," Fujitaka returned their greetings. "Sakura is hiding in her room."

The two girls went up the stairs and entered their friend's room. They threw Kero-chan out of it before protests from Sakura echoed through the house. A few minutes later, all three girls came down the stairs.

Fujitaka was concerned with his daughter's attire. Black leather ankle high boots, black leather mini-skirt that would likely be hard pressed to cover his daughter's underwear while dancing, leather jacket that looked like it was intended for a five-year-old as it didn't even reach the girl's waist and would be impossible to button up, and a band of pink cloth wrapped around Sakura's chest doing a poor job of covering her chest.

"See you later," Meiling promised dragging Sakura out of the house before anyone could say anything.

Tomoyo followed after them, repressing the urge to laugh.

Fujitaka shook his head clear only after the limousine had started to drive off.

Kero-chan flew up to him. "And you just let your daughter go on a date dressed like THAT?"

Fujitaka shrugged a little. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised if Sakura spends the night with her boyfriend."

"How can you just say that about Sakura?" Kero-chan demanded.

Fujitaka tried to smile, but it was obviously forced. "I remember when her mother was fifteen. How can I deny her doing the stuff I encouraged her mother to do with me?"

"Simple, you're her father," Kero-chan groused.

"I've seen how much being over protective can hurt the person you're trying to keep safe," Fujitaka countered before walking off.

Kero-chan glared. "But not protecting her might get her into even more pain and suffering."

* * *

Arriving at an entertainment area just outside of Tomoeda, there were several different dance clubs with love motels practically across the street from them. There were literally dozens of girls hanging out on the street, some of them dressed even more daring than Sakura and Meiling while others took their looks to other extremes by being extremely cute where holding a teddy-bear was part of the outfit, wearing so much black clothes and make-up that one would wonder if the girl was an undead, or covering themselves with so many technology gadgets it made them look like a cyborg.

Syaoran didn't notice the girls, having caught a glimpse of pink cotton under Sakura's black leather mini-skirt.

Takashi nearly broke his neck as he stared at one girl. "She's not wearing panties?" Despite his pronouncement, the girl made no move to cover herself.

Chiharu was sorely tempted to finish what his wandering eyes started. "Why look at what you can't have?"

"It's entirely because I can't have it," Takashi returned, grinning sheepishly.

Meiling glanced at the girl in question out of curiosity to see if she was really panty-less. She then frowned noticing that Tomoyo's camera was on and discreetly pointed at that girl.

Two of Tomoyo's bodyguards led the way to the rave that one of them was a member of. There was no delay admitting all of them into the club, though the guards were never more than a few meters from Tomoyo.

The inside of the dance club was filled darkness pierced by flashing colored lights. The floor was filled with people bumping and grinding against each other to the beat of the ever-changing music. Surrounding the dancing area were numerous tables which Sakura and her friends quickly commandeered one of the larger tables to use.

Tomoyo moved to the back of the table, as far away from the dance floor she could get. Sakura moved to sit next to her while Chiharu and Takashi went to the other side. Syaoran was about to sit next to his girlfriend when Meiling grabbed him.

"Why don't we warm up the dance floor for them?" Meiling suggested strongly. "We'll show these people how to really move."

Sakura pouted, wondering if all there was dancing to this music was rubbing yourself up against someone else. She didn't say anything as her boyfriend was dragged off by his cousin and one-time fiancee. She reprised her thinking of dancing as the Chinese cousins went into a martial arts kata, mirroring each other's moves and being sure to miss with their attacks.

Sakura wasn't the only one to notice the skillful movements. The lights moved to focus on them and the music's tempo became even more erratic as if trying to throw off the dance. Yet despite the attention from the disc jockey, most of those gathered didn't pay a whole lot of attention. When their martial dance came to an end, the only ones to clap were Sakura and her friends.

"Was that really dancing?" Takashi wondered.

"Martial arts is nothing more than a deadly dance. And practicing to music helps to learn how to read your opponent's tempo and see where his holes are," Meiling explained cheerfully.

"How come I never heard of martial artists using music that way before?" Chiharu wondered.

"Because while dancing helps you read your opponent, it also makes it easier for them to read you." Syaoran sat down next to his girlfriend. "The DJ did us a favor by mixing up the music so much. Both in making it harder for us to predict and in forcing us to change our movements."

"It's too bad Naoko-chan isn't here. She'd love to have learned about this," Chiharu commented.

* * *

Sakura's body writhed with the music. Her hips undulated in a hypnotic pattern. Her hands caressed her body, accenting the womanly features she was growing into.

Syaoran was quite glad he wasn't bumping and grinding like many of the other 'dancers' as his girlfriend would easily know what was on his mind if they did.

Syaoran didn't know that Sakura could dance this way nor this well. That a few girls were copying her movements had not escaped him. He wondered how his beloved could move in such a way. And then she looked at him.

His heart leapt into his throat, the answer hitting Syaoran hard. The naive, innocent girl he had originally fallen in love with was gone. The sparkling, inquisitive eyes that didn't seem to understand everything were now serious and knowing. Her shyness and uncertain movements were now filled with a confidence. He knew Sakura could not remain the sweet elementary girl forever, but the changes brought by growing older and her magical battles had never struck him so deeply as it did right now.

"Is there something wrong?" Sakura asked him, still moving with the music.

"Just with the world," Syaoran replied.

* * *

Tomoyo frowned as the fast paced music kept playing without rest. While couples danced to it, there was nothing special or romantic to it. Getting out from behind the table, she went to the DJ, her guards following behind her.

Tomoyo bowed to the guy doing his own dance with records and CDs. "Excuse me, but can you play a slow song for couples to dance too?"

The DJ looked at the girl strangely. "Where do you think you are? This is as slow as we get."

"Now, Hito-kun, there's no need to reject her flat out," purred a young woman dressed in red leather.

"Boss, you said..." Hito started to complain.

The woman smirked. "Forget what I said, and listen to me right now."

Tomoyo gazed at her intently, doubting this woman was more than twenty-years-old. "You're the boss here?"

"Got sick of being rejected to these clubs so I bought one," the woman laughed. "You can call me Ami. I'd be willing to bend the music rules for a little favor."

Tomoyo frowned. "How little?"

Ami smiled devilishly. "You'll have to dance with me during that song."

"I'm really a bad dancer. I've lost count on the number of times I stepped on the feet of my dance instructors," Tomoyo admitted shyly.

"And how many of your previous dance partners were guys?" Ami asked knowingly.

Tomoyo looked away. "All of them."

"And wasn't that your problem?" Ami pressed. "You need to be comfortable with yourself and your partner in order to dance well."

"I hope you're not offended, but I don't think I'd be very comfortable with you," Tomoyo pointed out.

"I'm sorry I'm not emerald-eyes or the Chinese girl, but I don't think you'll be getting a dance with them." Ami lifted the girl's hand. "One little dance is all I ask. I'm sure if I tried for more, your two friends behind you would make me rather unhappy."

"Well, I tried to warn you." Tomoyo shook her head. "Shall we dance then?"

"How can the boss get more girls than I do?" the DJ groaned.

Tomoyo felt a bit too self-conscious as the slow song began and the young dance club owner held her, thankfully not too tightly. She stayed a considerable distance from Sakura and their friends, but did manage to catch a glimpse of her best friends dancing with a thick blush.

"Any sacrifice for her, huh?" Ami asked.

Tomoyo nodded, feeling no need to say more than that. By the song's end she had managed to relax, and was surprised to note she had not stepped on Ami's feet even once.

* * *

"This place is insane!" Chiharu complained as she sat at their table.

"Yeah! Isn't it great?" Meiling cheered, sitting next to her and pointedly not looking towards the back where Tomoyo was talking with some woman the girl had just danced with.

"Great?" Chiharu looked at her friend disbelievingly. She pointed towards another table. "There's a guy snorting powder over there!"

"This is a party! Inhibitions should be checked at the door!" Meiling countered.

"Are you nuts?" Chiharu cried out. "Who knows what these guys would do to you if you gave them a chance!"

Meiling shrugged. "I'm keeping my options open. I need a good boyfriend. So far none of these guys passed my test."

"Test? What test?" Chiharu wondered.

Meiling wagged a finger in the air. "It's real simple. For a guy to have a chance with me, he has to look at my face when he's talking or dancing with me."

Chiharu gazed at the girl skeptically. "With that dress, I'd say you're sabotaging yourself."

"I do have to make it a challenge for them," Meiling joked.

Takashi was holding some soda pops as he walked over to them with wide eyes. "Any thing goes here, huh?"

"What now?" Chiharu groused.

"Look behind you," was all Takashi managed to say.

The two girls turned around and stared at what a couple was doing two tables away.

"Didn't even wait until leaving..." Meiling shook her head, but continued to watch.

Chiharu turned around stiffly. She then scowled at her husband who was still watching. "I am NOT going to do that for you here."

"Hope she's using birth control," Meiling commented.

* * *

Tomoyo followed behind Sakura as they left the women's bathroom. It was nice to see that Sakura was enjoying herself, gaining back some of the bounce in the girl's step. And not once did her beloved friend have any accident of any sort, which made Tomoyo wonder about the cause of them even more.

Passing by some large men, Sakura's hand seemed to move of it's own accord and smacked the full glass of beer a guy was holding onto him.

"Oh, no... I... ah..." Sakura took a step back from him in fright.

"Why the fuck did you do that?" the man sneered, rearing his hand back and slamming his fist into Sakura's face, sending her to the floor.

"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo immediately went to her knees to see if her friend was all right. She refused to look as she heard the guy emit a cry of pain. Her bodyguards had been right behind them.

More noise erupted through the rave as violence washed over the place like a wave. Too much alcohol and too little control led to an all out brawl.

Tomoyo remained where she was, holding Sakura's unconscious form. Her guards flanking them and doing a vicious job of keeping anyone who might want to hurt them away. Meiling joined in the protection, but where her guards were stoic, the Chinese girl wore a grin as she sent guy after guy into pain-filled slumber. Syaoran finally emerged from the melee going on around them, but he looked a bit unsteady.

"Huh? Wha?" Sakura blinked her eyes open.

"Sakura-chan, are you okay?" Tomoyo asked desperately.

Sakura nodded, but flinched as she touched her injured cheek.

"We need to get out of here," Syaoran ordered. "Let's find Yamazaki and his wife before this gets any worse."

A high pitch scream and a shift of the mob of fighters drew their attention. People backed away, revealing a young man holding a knife dripping with blood. The moaning guy at his feet wasn't Yamazaki, but the married boy was unfortunately too close to the armed man, with Chiharu cowering behind him.

"Stand back! I've got a knife! You fuckers won't hurt me!" the armed man ordered.

Syaoran's little finger slipped into his pocket and he pulled out a large plain ring with two short silken ropes connecting a green orb and a pink orb to it. With a flick of his wrist, the two ropes entwined with each other and the balls merged, forming sword hilt and guard from which a long blade emerged. The sword looked much like the one he used in elementary school, but it was clear to Tomoyo's eyes it was not the same one. Moving into the clearing, Syaoran announced his presence. "Put down that knife and you won't be hurt."

The armed man swayed as he stared at the teenager. "I got a knife!"

"And I have a sword with over a decade's training to use it. Who do you think would win?" Syaoran stated evenly. "Put down the knife."

The man screamed and ran forward. He only made it halfway before Meiling intercepted him, first with a foot sweep, followed by a knee to his jaw as he was falling.

Meiling popped her knuckles as she stood proudly over the unconscious man. "Does anyone else want to try their luck?"

"It's never a dull moment with you, is it?" Chiharu asked, rushing across the room to her friends' side.

"Sorry," Sakura apologized.

Takashi laughed. "It's more fun this way!"

"Don't anyone move! This is the police!"

Panic alighted the faces of almost every person at the rave before they all tried to find an exit. With the chaos and fear, no one was paying attention to Meiling or Syaoran anymore.

"Allow me to ignore walls, Through," Sakura whispered before she walked backwards and literally went through the wall behind her as if it wasn't there. She emerged from it and grabbed hold of Tomoyo's and Syaoran's hands. "Everyone link hands." As soon as everybody was holding onto someone else, she guided them through the wall and into a dark movie theater. Apparently the show was extremely good as the numerous people watching it didn't notice them coming out of the wall.

Meiling shrugged and went to one of the few vacant rows towards the back and started to watch the action packed movie filled with daring stunts and car chases, the others followed suit.

The credits ran a half-hour later and Sakura had cast Illusion over them per Syaoran's request. He soon came to regret that as she disguised them all as a typical group of Japanese elementary school girls along with two mothers. The effect served its purpose as they walked out of the theater and past Ami talking to the police in front of her dance club without anyone looking at them.

* * *

Sitting in the limousine, Syaoran never took his eyes off his girlfriend. He paid no heed to Meiling talking to the Yamazaki couple, and she didn't seem to be listening to them. Finally, he asked, "Why didn't you tell me why you were getting hurt?"

All conversation in the limousine stopped immediately.

Tomoyo gazed at the boy in surprise and then at Sakura whose head was bowed. "You know what's going on, Li-kun?"

Syaoran nodded, but his eyes were glued to his girlfriend. "We've been worried about you. We thought you might've been doing this to yourself. Why didn't you tell us? Why aren't you getting freak out over it?"

"I don't know why I don't freak out over it," Sakura admitted tearfully. "Maybe it's because I know."

"Know what?" Meiling pressed.

Sakura shrugged. "I... Well... it's just that I know what's happening and why. I can't bring myself to be scared if I know I'm going to be hurt."

Tomoyo looked puzzled for a moment, but then her face paled and her hand moved to cover her mouth. "You don't mean that... SHE is doing this to you?"

Sakura merely nodded.

"Who?" Meiling demanded.

Syaoran almost growled in frustration when his girlfriend didn't answer. "She's being attacked by Ichimai's ghost. I caught her floating away after the brawl started. I think she was as shocked about me being able to see her and grab her, as I was in learning that she's a poltergeist."

"Whoa! Ichimai is a ghost haunting Kinomoto?" Takashi said in awe. "Yanagisawa is going to flip when she finds out."

"Wait a second. Ghosts can only haunt objects deeply connected to them or places they are familiar with. She'd need to be invited to get in, right?" Meiling questioned.

Tomoyo pouted deeply. "You could say Reiko-chan was a 'popular' girl with the boys. She would've 'paid' the way to get in without having a membership."

Chiharu looked puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Meiling groused.

Tomoyo decided to change topics. "Li-kun, I noticed that wasn't the same sword you used before."

"Um... I, uh, made this one," Syaoran answered nervously.

Tomoyo wondered what would make the boy blush about his means to use magic, but the fact Sakura was also blushing made her want to know more. "Is there something special about it?"

Meiling grinned viciously. "To make a device to cast spells through, you need a core. Syaoran's kind of has two. His first baby tooth... and Sakura's last one."

Chiharu giggled at the embarrassment the couple displayed. "How did Li-kun get Sakura-chan's last baby tooth?"

"From a deep passionate kiss with her during her second trip to Hong Kong." Meiling's laughter spread through the stretched car. "He even had to spit HER tooth out of HIS mouth."

* * *

Author's Notes:

Coming Next: Chapter 12 - The Taking of Sakura A field trip to an aviary was something Sakura was looking forward to in order to get away from vicious pranks. Letting down her guard proves to be a costly mistake.

A girl having sex to enter a popular dance club, particularly fancy ones that would be above their means to enter normally, is something that does happen in Japan. This is probably not true of all dance clubs in Japan, and maybe not even most of them. But it does happen. I read in one article detailing how a girl ended up being the only female in group sex by being invited into a rave by one of the guys. They got her drunk, they took turns with her, and she was back in front of the rave trying to get in again the following week. For the girls willing to pay any price to get in to a high-class club, it's a mark of status when they get invited inside.

I'm putting out a call for some new pre-readers. I have only one consistent pre-reader, thanks Jeremy Mullin, and a couple that give comments on rare occasions. While I do not expect immediate replies or even a reply to every chapter I send, I would like more input on my drafts before posting them. While my chief concern is grammar, making sure I don't mess up characterization or continuity is also appreciated. If you are interested, send an email to lord_ with which anime series you'd be willing to help me with: Card Captor Sakura, Digimon, Naruto, Ranma 1/2, Medabots, Harry Potter, Patlabor, and/or The Slayers (the last four may or may not see anything.)

This omake may be a start to a series or not, which has nothing to do with Shadow of the Dragon. If I do start making numerous parts to this in the omake, I'll likely put them together and post it separately.

* * *

Nineteen-year-old Li Sakura was getting rather frustrated at the amount of travel she was doing. Between living in Hong Kong with her husband, her friends living in Tomoeda or attending various universities across Japan, and her father going from one archaeology dig to the next- if she wanted to see any of them she either had to use a plane or her magic to fly there. The hours lost in transit was starting to pile up. Sakura wanted a better solution.

After months of research on the concepts of teleportation, Sakura attempted to make a card that would allow her to move anywhere instantly. Using The Move as her focal point, she fed her magic into the air before her, willing it to combine into the form of her choosing. Yue and Cerberus were present, aiding in giving the magic shape and form while making sure it did not leak away. The magic became a swirling vortex, sucking small objects into it. They tried to reign in the magic, but the spiral grew in power and size. With a loud bang, the room was completely empty. Not even a hair remained in it.

Sakura screamed as she felt herself falling fast, she cried out in pain as she landed hard on barren dirt. She groaned as she cautiously sat up. She blinked at her surroundings. There was a small wooden village a few kilometers away and a sad looking farm next to her. "Where on Earth am I?"

Yue limped out of the field of wilted plants, holding a strange melon in his hand. "I do not believe we are on Earth."

Sakura closed her eyes and let her senses spread. She gasped at the utterly foreign feeling of the land. The magic of this place twisted and turned all around her. And the elements were separate and distinct. "How did we get into another world?"

Cerberus had reverted to his false form, one of his forelimbs badly hurt from his fall. "Wasn't one of the concepts to teleportation was to move to a different dimension and then move back to the original one in a different place?"

Sakura frowned as she nodded. She looked at the new card in her hand, The Gate. "So, I only half-made the card I wanted."

"It would appear so," Yue groused.

"Why don't you try to use it again and get us home?" Kero-chan asked.

Sakura shook her head. "It feels like The Change. It needs to recharge before I can use it again."

"Wonderful," Kero-chan groused. "How long do you think it'll be?"

"I don't know. Certainly longer than a day. We might be here a week or more," Sakura reluctantly admitted.

"Then I suggest we learn more about this place," Yue recommended coldly. "Yukito would serve better dealing with people." With that the angelic moon guardian reverted to his false form.

"Let's go to town," Sakura almost groaned out as she moved to stand up.

Sakura could almost trick herself to believe she was in the past. She had covered herself and Yukito in an illusion of ragged brown peasant clothes in order to blend in. Though the fact that people were using elemental earth magic openly told her that this was not her world. Though she was sure not one of these Earth mages could touch any of the other elements. Thankfully Sakura had learned Mandarin, Cantonese and English, as these people spoke a strange mix of those languages. It took her a bit to get down their nuances, but she could speak with them.

Still it was a friendly place that gave them a place to stay and some food in exchange for doing some work, for which she used The Earthy to help her with. Unfortunately, after spending a few days in this strange world, The Gate had barely regained any strength. It might be a full month before she could use it.

Sakura giggled as a young girl used her to hide behind while other kids also scattered away from a young boy in a game of tag. Suddenly there was a flash of fire magic. Sakura turned around and saw men in metal armor. One of the young boys laid on the ground burnt to death.

"This town is now under Fire Nation rule. Resist and die!" the leader of these soldiers barked out.

The local earth mages launched an attack to save their homes, but the locals were just workers and farmers. They were cut down quickly by the highly trained fire using soldiers.

Sakura's wand was now in her hands. "You will not harm any more of these people! Earthy! Windy! Fiery! Watery!" The four elementals appeared around her and leapt into battle against the fire nation soldiers. Pure raw power overshadowing trained skill. "You will leave this village and never come back!"

The fire nation soldiers retreated in the face of such unimaginable power. Many of them whispered in disbelief that they were all still alive, but that was not the greatest concern of their leader. "Another Avatar?"

And thus begins the story of Sakura the Spirit Bender.

The setting is Avatar: The Last Airbender and is the property of Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and Nickelodeon Animation Studios. Used without consent, all rights reserved.


	12. The Taking of Sakura

Wandering around the school was boring in the middle of the night. It was no wonder ghosts were most often heard at night. They were all bemoaning the fact there was nothing to do!

Reiko floated aimlessly through the school, only her upper body being solid. She had already stuffed the airhead's shoe locker and desk with rotten food. Unfortunately, the girl who had murdered her had started to take everything home, to prevent her from doing any more damage.

The ghostly girl debated visiting home, but saw no reason to go beyond bringing back memories of other lonely nights when her phone never rang, be it a girl wanting to have a fun outing or a boy wanting anything besides her body.

Reiko smirked as she remembered the restrictions placed upon her new existence, having been told what she could do by the one who brought her back. She couldn't go just anywhere she wanted, but she could go to places she had visited before. While she had never been to the airhead's home, she had gone to the apartment of the girl's boyfriend. If she was lucky, the murderer would be there.

Reiko found it a bit of a struggle to transpose herself to Li's apartment. Having only been there once, she didn't have much connection to the place at all. Still she managed to appear in the darken living room, standing in front of the couch and looking towards the television. With the only light coming from the walkway outside of the apartment, it was unlikely anyone was awake.

"Hello."

Reiko whirled around to see a young woman gazing at her from behind the kitchen counter. "Who are you?"

"That should be my question." The woman smirked. "I'm Li Fanren, Syaoran's sister."

Reiko scowled. "And you can see me?"

Fanren giggled a little. "Of course I can. The Li clan is one of the oldest mage clans. Meiling, her mother, and one of my brothers-in-law are the only ones in the family who can't see or touch you."

Reiko huffed. "And why aren't you asleep now?"

Fanren moved forward, floating through the counter separating the kitchen from the living room. "Because I'm as dead as you are. Though I became this intentionally. Care to tell me who brought you over?"

"If I told you, you'd tell that airhead. I'm not about to help the girl who killed me," Reiko snarled.

Fanren sighed. "Sakura-chan didn't kill you. True, she had a choice of who died, but someone had to die in that accident. It ended up being you."

Reiko folded her arms. "I wasn't supposed to die, yet because of the airhead, I'm dead. How is that not murder?"

Fanren's eyes hardened on the ghostly girl. "I suppose I could debate this point, but it'd get me no where. However, I will not let you hurt my little brother to get back at his girlfriend."

"Can you stop me?" Reiko threatened, her lower chest solidifying into the gory mess the truck inflicted on her.

Fanren rolled her eyes, completely unimpressed by the ghastly display. "You were a normal girl before. I've always had magic." Flames erupted from her spectral body, her image going from what she had been in life to the charred flesh and bones of her death. "You will leave NOW!"

Reiko immediately fled back to the school.

* * *

**Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 12: The Taking of Sakura**

_By: Lord Archive_

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

Author's Warnings:

This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

While Sakura had no plans of leaving her shoes in her locker, she still checked it to see what Reiko's ghost had done to it over night. She smelled cleaner from it, but found it to be empty. She could only guess a teacher found the prank and took care of it.

Sakura yanked her hand back as the door to her shoe locker closed suddenly. She then looked tiredly at the phantom girl scowling at her. "Can't you give me at least a little break?"

"You should be rotting in jail for murder," Reiko sneered.

Sakura pouted at the dead girl. "I suppose saying that I'm sorry and that I had every intention of being the one to die that morning if it meant saving someone's life wouldn't be enough?"

"And why would I believe a lying witch?" Reiko retorted.

"Because it's the truth," Syaoran said firmly as he moved to stand next to his girlfriend.

"As if," Reiko spat. She dashed around Sakura and shoved the girl by the head into the lockers.

Sakura rubbed her now bruised forehead. "Why does everyone go for my face?"

"Kinomoto Sakura, come with me," announced the school disciplinarian. He then glared at the boy. "You too, Li Syaoran."

* * *

Teikei gazed intently at the girl sitting nervously in his office. He had been keeping an eye on her since the Chinese boy arrived at the school. She had picked up a long list of injuries since Ichimai's death. The most notable ones weren't when Li was around, however he wasn't sure if the boy was completely innocent. Especially as Li was the only one near Kinomoto when her head was slammed into the shoe lockers.

"Now, Kinomoto, can you tell who is hurting you?" Teikei tenderly asked. "You can tell me and I'll see the person or persons are made to stop."

Sakura's hands twitched together as the girl tried to come up with something to say. "It's well... I... ah... I don't really know!" she lamely lied.

"You don't know who is shoving you into lockers or down stairs?" Teikei returned disbelievingly.

Sakura seemed to shrivel up in her seat. The disciplinarian tried to coax any information from her, but she wouldn't answer.

"If you need any help, I'll be here for you. When you're ready to tell someone who is hurting you, I'll be ready." Teikei sighed. "You can go, Kinomoto. Send in Li."

Sakura nodded and quickly dashed out of the room.

Syaoran entered a moment later with a scowl etched on his face.

"Perhaps you can explain to me how Kinomoto bruised her forehead?" Teikei asked fiercely.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth," Syaoran answered evenly.

"Try me," Teikei demanded.

"I won't bother," Syaoran returned.

"Do you want detention?" Teikei snapped.

Syaoran folded his arms defiantly. "I suspect you'll give it to me regardless of the fact that I would sooner die than hurt Sakura. I know what it looked like to you."

"It looked like you were the one to shove her into the lockers," Teikei snarled. "You were the only one near her."

"I didn't do it," Syaoran stated firmly.

Teikei's retort was prevented by a light tapping on his door. He growled as he moved to see who it was. He gazed hard at the dark haired girl holding up a video camera.

"I have proof that Li-kun is innocent," Tomoyo informed, attempting to sound sweet but it fell flat.

"Oh, really?" Teikei wondered skeptically.

Tomoyo entered the room and shut the door behind her. She once again presented her camera with the view screen extended and pressed play.

Teikei saw an image of Kinomoto talking to herself with a strange glare on the view screen. He couldn't hear what she said with the noise of other students crowding the sound. Shortly after Li appeared on the image, the glare somehow moved past Kinomoto and her head suddenly collided with the lockers, yet no one touched her. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Guilt, I'm afraid." Tomoyo sighed theatrically. "You see, Sakura-chan was in a position to save Reiko-chan, but didn't. Now she blames herself for the girl's death. She's been hurting herself because no one has punished her. We've been trying to help her, but over coming her feelings of guilt isn't easy."

Teikei wondered if the girl should take up acting or was naturally off-key. What she said would make sense for the injuries involved. He frowned at her. "And what about the rotting meat in her locker?"

"That may be pranks done to her by those who do blame Sakura-chan for Reiko-chan's death. Reiko-chan was 'popular' with the sports team, and individuals might be doing petty things against Sakura-chan," Tomoyo added logically.

The smirk on Li's face was not lost on Teikei. If he had to place a bet on who was really responsible, it would be Daidouji and Li both hurting the girl for whatever reason. Possibly as an effort to push Kinomoto away so that they could develop a relationship or some other such nonsense. However, the time needed to edit a video should take longer. But if there was one person in the school who could change images on a video in less than fifteen minutes, it was Daidouji.

"Well, you two are free to go, however I don't like what I'm seeing at this school. If I find either of you responsible for causing damages or hurting others, you'll find yourselves in different schools," Teikei threatened.

* * *

"It sucks that we can't let everyone know that magic is real," Naoko commented in a low tone for only her friends to hear, glancing at the school disciplinarian as they all walked toward the school buses.

"Tell me about it," Meiling groused. "We have to be very careful that Ichimai's pranks don't get us kicked out of this school."

"Can we not talk about that, please?" Sakura pleaded. "We're going to an aviary. A place Reiko-chan has never been too. A place I'll be able to relax." She then shifted uneasily as she saw Satome glaring at her, his hand entombed in a plaster cast.

Syaoran returned that boy's gaze with equal hostility. "Unfortunately you won't be able to completely relax."

"At least he's on a different bus." Rika hugged herself. "I seriously hope he fails to get into senior high."

"That jerk might not even bother going," Naoko spat. "I want him out of our lives for good."

Meiling folded her arms irritably. "Unfortunately the two ways for that to happen at this point is either someone kills him or he gets sent off to jail as an adult. You can imagine what has to happen for the latter situation to occur."

Naoko shivered in dread. "Yeah, he'd have to succeed in raping one of us."

"Can we PLEASE not talk about that either?!" Sakura whined her demand. "This is a field trip. Let's just try to enjoy it."

"I hear that part of today's assignment will be to draw an exotic bird," Takashi chirped in. "It'll be a large part of our grade too."

Sakura let out a frustrated moan.

* * *

The students looked at a large enclosed area that had a few dead trees and rocks resembling barren lands. The only form of life they saw was a small mouse skittering across the ground.

"Aw, it's a cute mouse!" Sakura giggled. She then blinked as a mass of brown feathers swooped pass. She slowly looked up at one of the trees and saw the remains of the rodent in the claws of a hawk. "Ewww."

The tour guide laughed a little as he adjusting his hat. "The aviary occasionally has a little rodent problem, but the birds take care of it for us. In fact, we put healthy mice into these areas for the express purpose of letting our predatory birds hunt them as it is healthier for them to kill their own meals rather than be fed cut meat."

Syaoran gazed at the brown bird with red tail feathers. "That bird is amazing."

Sakura pouted. "It just killed that poor mouse."

"How else is it supposed to eat? It's a bird of prey. It only eats meat," Syaoran retorted.

"Fish are just as alive and you eat them, don't you?" Takashi added mischievously.

"Yeah, but they're not cute," Sakura defended weakly, and then giggled despite herself. "I know it's what he's supposed to do. I just don't like seeing things die."

"Now let's go to our main attraction. Please be mindful of the plastic curtains we'll be passing through. They help to keep the birds inside this exhibit as there are no cages there. You'll be able to feed the birds directly. Though do not try to pet them," the tour guide informed the group.

After passing through the final curtain, the students were faced with an enormous room. They could not see the other side of the room as towering trees and plants filled most of the empty spaces. Numerous birds were chirping excitedly, yet none could be seen in the cover of the foliage. Many of the students loosened their shirts as the humidity of this indoor tropical forest assaulted them.

"You can all spread out and try to find the birds, but stay on the inside of the marked fences. The birds do like to hide, though you can draw them out at the feeding stations," the tour guide advised.

"Remember you need to sketch one of the birds you see here," Teikei told the students.

Sakura groaned. Her drawings were never good enough. Even worse for her was groups were to consist of no more than four people, separating with Tomoyo, Meiling and Naoko she couldn't stay with Syaoran. Though she knew he would be nearby with Yamazaki, Chiharu and Rika.

* * *

"Can you hold that pose?" Naoko asked.

Sakura pouted. "How can I draw if I can't move?"

"You'd have a hard time drawing them anyway," Meiling pointed out.

Sakura glanced at the parrot on her left shoulder and then the cockatoo on her right shoulder. "You'll let me draw you later, won't you?"

Both birds bounced their heads in a nod.

"It's a shame we can't see the bird of paradise," Tomoyo commented, taking a still image of Sakura and the birds.

The tour guide walked up to them. "We haven't seen Rakudo since the female bird of paradise we had died."

"His mate died? That's so sad!" Sakura whined, and the birds on her shoulders nodded in agreement.

"Birds of paradise aren't known to keep with only one mate, though I suspect he's upset that there aren't any other birds of his kind here anymore." The tour guide gazed at the girl with the two birds. "You certainly have a way with animals. If you manage to see him, please feed him some fruit. He hasn't eaten anything in days."

After the tour guide walked away, Sakura asked the birds, "Do you know where Rakudo-san is?"

The birds flew from her shoulders and hovered above her.

Sakura glanced around as she took a handful of chopped melon from the feeding station. "I'll be back. Cover me. Jump!"

Tomoyo's camera tracked Sakura as the girl leapt into the forested canopy.

Sakura frowned as she spotted the sad, yet extremely colorful red bird. Carefully she approached him. "Hello, Rakudo-san. I'm sorry to hear about your mate."

The bird of paradise gazed at the girl with a confused look.

"I know it's sad to lose someone important to you. But you can't hide away by yourself. You're not alone and others still care for you." Sakura placed her hand against her chest. "I know about hiding away from others because of pain. I was doing that myself. My friends helped me know I wasn't alone. Parrot-san and cockatoo-san cared enough to show me where you were." She held out her hand. "Please, eat and know you're not alone."

Rakudo cautiously moved toward the girl and tentatively pecked at the food in her hand.

Sakura smiled as the bird hungrily ate all the pieces of melon she had. "I don't expect you to come with me, but do try to not hide any more. Illusion!" Her image became that of a cockatoo as she returned to her friends. Seeing no one around, she let her cards return. "I got to feed Rakudo-san!"

Tomoyo's camera wasn't on the girl, but above her. "I would say so. You've got another friend! He's beautiful!"

Sakura looked up. "You did come out!"

Dozens of birds suddenly flocked around Sakura and the bird of paradise, which in turn brought the other students from Sakura's class who looked in awe at the giant colorful bird that seemed to be out of a fantasy story, yet was in fact a real bird. The attention caused Rakudo to be upset, making him fly away.

* * *

The parrot and cockatoo stood on the railing that helped mark the path the students were supposed to stay on. They kept moving, trying to look more majestic than the other bird.

"You two are as bad as Kero-chan," Sakura muttered. "Can you please stay still so I can draw you?"

The birds did calm down for a minute, but only one minute, before returning to their posturing.

"They seem to be good friends," Tomoyo commented with a few giggles.

Naoko looked from what she was sketching. "At least Sakura-chan is a great help in getting us subjects to draw."

Suddenly both birds took off, flying away from the nearby outer wall.

"Get back!" Sakura warned before the wall exploded. She covered her face from flying debris and looked up in horror as a monstrously huge raven loomed before her. She reached for her cards, but the bird swooped in and picked her up. She screamed as magic assaulted her, knocking her unconscious.

Naoko could only stare with the others as the bird turned around and flew out of the gapping hole it had made in the wall.

Syaoran ran straight for them, yanking papers from his pocket upon seeing what was going on. "God of thunder, descend!" he cried out, sending a lightning blast at the bird, but missed his target and succeeded in only making the hole larger. He fired more spells at the giant raven, but the distance soon became too much.

Naoko shakily stood up and watched in worry as the bird flew away with her friend.

Meiling took off running through the hole despite her slower speed.

Tomoyo bit her lip as her camera focused on the bird.

"Shit!" Syaoran cursed. His body shook in impotent rage. "SAKURA!!!" Glowing markings appeared around him, but they did not form a circle like Sakura's magic would display, rather they took the shape of two squares offset from each other.

Naoko might not have any ability with magic, but even she could feel the energy building around boy. Wind began to circle around him, gathering in speed. She had no idea what was going on. She started to hear loud screeching from the birds.

From the upper canopy the bird of paradise took flight, followed by the hundreds of birds in the tropical enclosure. Rakudo led the birds into the vortex around Syaoran. The winds were becoming already fierce and then exploded in intensity when the large colorful bird slammed into the boy. But instead of knocking him over, it literally went into him, its wings merging into his back. Hundreds of birds followed suit, each one disappeared upon hitting Syaoran, somehow making the wings on the boy's back grow in size.

With the last bird gone, Syaoran took flight with his rainbow wings, pushing himself to fly as fast as he could. His speed was faster than the monstrous raven, catching up to the bird holding his beloved captive. He could feel his strength waning, taken up to give him a means to fly. He had to free Sakura, even if it meant dying in his attempt. He knew he would only have one shot as he would likely fall unconscious from the effort. He dug deep into his pocket that held Fanren's comb and pulled out every lightning spell papers he had. With more a guttural scream than incantation, he stabbed the papers with his sword, launching a giant lightning blast at the bird.

Syaoran smiled as the lightning stuck the bird's back. The monster squawked in pain and reflexively let go of Sakura. The bird lost its immense size as it plummeted to the ground with the girl falling next to it. He tried to focus on his beloved, but exhaustion pulled him into darkness and the feathers melted away from his back.

Sakura groaned awake as she felt the all-to-familiar sensation of free fall. She quickly cast Fly upon herself and looked around to see what was going on. She saw Syaoran falling and immediately grabbed him, before trying to slow down her descent. The speed of their fall was too much and they were too close to the ground. They slammed into the ground, but thankfully not dangerously hard.

Sakura panted, unsure what to make of what was going on. She glanced at her boyfriend and her heart froze in panic. His hair was white and his face wrinkled. It was as if she was seeing what Syaoran would look like at one hundred-years-old. Remembering the sensations she felt after the fight with the dragon golem, Sakura willed her energy into her boyfriend. As she slipped into unconsciousness, she noticed two cards with dark green backs in his hand.

* * *

Sakura groaned awake, finding herself in bed with Syaoran. "This is really getting to be a bad habit." She then giggled tiredly. "Well, maybe not 'bad.'"

"You're awake."

Sakura sat up and stared at the woman in the room. "Li-san...."

Syaoran's mother, Yelan, approached the bed. "I see you both are past the worst of it."

Sakura began to panic as she suddenly realized she was in a hospital room, with tubes and wires attached to her arm. "What happened?"

"You were attacked by a giant bird and rendered unconscious. Syaoran, desperate in trying to save you, did something obscenely reckless and nearly killed himself. If not for your magic potential and quick thinking to feed him your energy, he would've died," Yelan informed, sounding sadder than the girl had ever heard the woman speak.

Sakura clutched her boyfriend's hands tightly. Looking at his face, the patch of gray hair reminded her of what he looked like after he defeated the bird. "Don't you dare ever do that again!" she chastised the still sleeping boy.

Yelan cleared her voice. "To cover up this event, there's been some... truth bending. As far as everyone is concerned, an ultra-light plane crashed into the aviary and hurt you and Syaoran from the debris. The pilot was dead at the scene, though there actually was no plane nor pilot. The gapping hole it made let most of the birds in the aviary escape, and only a couple of them have been found."

Sakura blinked. "The birds? What happened to the birds?"

Yelan frowned. "Look at what's in his other hand."

Sakura reached over the boy and saw the two dark green cards he had before she became unconscious. The backs of them showed an image of two offset squares filled with symbols that reminded her of the lazen board he had so often used in locating the Clow Cards. The face of the first card was 'The Lightning' with a rather simple picture of a lightning bolt depicted on it. From her own cards could see that this was extremely similar to the Clow Cards, but attuned entirely to Syaoran, as her cards were now attuned to her. That card seemed to be strongly offensive, yet she couldn't sense it having the guiding intelligence 'The Thunder' did. She then looked at the other card.

"The Birds..." Sakura moaned out in anguish. Her fingers shook as she touched the image of the bird of paradise beautifully centered on the card. She could see the two small friends she had made at the aviary sitting together on the right side, while dozens of other birds were scattered about the picture. "He... he KILLED the ENTIRE aviary for this?!" Tears pooled in her eyes. "Rakudo-san... Parrot-san... Cockatoo-san... All those birds... for this...."

"For you," Yelan snapped.

Sakura flinched. "I would never want this."

"Syaoran needed a means to save you, and the birds responded to his plea. They choose to do this for you. To save your life," Yelan pointed out firmly. "If not for their sacrifice, you would not be here. You would be dead."

Sakura yanked the tubes and wires from her arm before jumping out of the bed.

Yelan moved to push her back. "Sakura, you need to rest."

"I need to be alone!" Sakura shouted, despite her unsteady stance. "I've had too much going on as it is. Some mage is out to kill me, fought an assassin, nearly raped, Fanren-chan met her fate and is now a ghost, Mihara-san died from cancer, and not only did I choose to let Reiko-chan die, she's now a poltergeist out to get me." She clenched her fists. "Now Syaoran-kun murdered hundreds of birds to save me. It's too much!"

Yelan sighed as the girl stomped away. "And the worse is yet to come."

Sakura froze at the door and gave the woman a pain-filled glance. "Why is this happening to me? To us?"

"Power attracts power." Yelan looked away. "And the misuse of power corrupts."

Sakura clenched the door tightly as she opened it and exited the room, slamming it behind her. She then blinked in surprise. This wasn't a hospital she was in. She recognized the hallway as being from Tomoyo's house. She made her way to the back gazebo and sat heavily at the patio table.

A moment later, Sakura was surprised as a maid arrived holding a tray of food.

"We weren't sure what you wanted, so we prepared a few different things that would be easy to eat."

"Thank you." Sakura glanced at the cereal, chopped fruit, toast, milk, orange juice and tea. While she was starving, this was too much for her alone. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," the maid replied.

"How long have I been here?" Sakura wondered.

"Seven days," the maid answered.

Sakura stared at her. "A whole week?!"

The maid nodded. "Yes. I'm afraid Tomoyo-hime will be quite upset to learn you woke up while she was at school."

"I see. Thank you." Sakura poked at the cereal with a spoon. "I've got more than enough here. You can go."

"It's no problem. I can remain to help you," the maid insisted.

"I need to be alone, please," Sakura pleaded, and was thankful when the maid nodded and walked away. She then frowned, sensing the maid had only moved out of sight.

Sakura sighed as she slowly began to eat. This wasn't fair. Twice now others had died for her. She should've been killed in that stupid accident. Then the aviary wouldn't have been slaughtered by her own boyfriend. How could he do that to them? How?

Collapsing onto the table, Sakura began to sob uncontrollably. How many more would get hurt because of her? How many would die because some mage was out to kill her? Why was that person out to get her? What had she ever done to that mage?

Sakura felt something tap her head. She looked up to see the parrot and the cockatoo from the aviary standing on the table. "Wha... what?!"

"Don't be sad," the parrot told her.

"But you're dead!" Sakura protested. "You're not free! You're bound to Syaoran-kun now!"

"Were we ever free?" the cockatoo retorted. "We were stuck in an aviary waiting for hand outs for food. And trust us, you were a LOT kinder than most of the kids we've seen."

"Rakudo's girlfriend died because of what another group of kids did," the parrot added. "They didn't MEAN to hurt her, but they ignored the tour guide's warnings about petting and remaining on the path."

Sakura pouted, silently casting Libra to make sure this was not just a show being put on for her, but the honest truth. "But you'll never be able to fly around like you did before."

"It'll be better than before. We now have a purpose!" the cockatoo announced happily. "We can even talk to you."

"Sure we could've learned how to speak in the aviary. But that would've been repeating phrases. I'd hardly call 'cute bird,' 'come on eat,' and 'stupid bird shit on me' as speaking," the parrot added jokingly.

Despite herself, Sakura giggled a little. "I still think what happened is too sad."

"So we're not going to be paraded before snot-nose kids anymore. Big deal. The aviary will replace us with other birds. Not even Rakudo was irreplaceable. It's why we were in that enclosure with no cages. If some stupid kid killed one of us, it wouldn't be a major tragedy," the parrot explained in distaste.

"Yeah, but Syaoran-kun still murdered all of you," Sakura protested.

"For the last time, he didn't kill us. He gave us a new purpose and meaning beyond to be seen by people. You'll be able to see us whenever you want now. Which makes me a lot happier!" the cockatoo chirped.

"And me even happier than him!" the parrot added.

"I'm the happiest!" the cockatoo shot.

"No, I am!" the parrot returned.

As the argument continued, the birds faded away and returned to being a card. Sakura followed the path of the card and saw Syaoran catch it as he leaned heavily against his mother.

"I'm sorry," Syaoran told her as he weakly approached her with his mother's help.

Sakura pouted at him. "I'm not sure I can forgive you."

Syaoran looked like he had just been stabbed.

Sakura walked up to him and poked his chest. "Don't you dare kill yourself trying to save me! Without you, there would be no reason for me to live! Syaoran-kun, I love you. I can't live without you!" She pulled him into a fierce hug.

Syaoran returned her embrace. "I'm sorry. I feel the same way. It's why I did... what I did. You mean everything to me."

"Try not to kill anything next time," Sakura pleaded.

"I'll try," Syaoran pledged, yet accenting 'try.'

Sakura frowned, Libra telling her that wasn't the full truth about not killing anything. She pulled the card back, not wanting to have any more reason not to trust her boyfriend. "Now come on, let's eat. You've got to be as hungry as I was," Sakura pulled him towards the patio table.

* * *

Coming soon: Chapter 13 - Nadeshiko's Past, Sakura's Present Chiharu finds a picture at her house and learns that the unspoken past is being repeated in the present.

Sorry, not Avatar crossover this time, but Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, which is owned by CLAMP. This occurs right before the country of Piffle.

* * *

The very air seemed to bubble before five figures fell from it. A tall, muscular man in black landed first, followed by a slender man in white, then a teenage boy in browns, followed by a teenage girl whose arse bounced on each of the guys' heads, and then the small white creature did the same-- though his fall seemed to have been intentional.

"You did that on purpose!" snarled the dark dressed man, Kurogane.

"I certainly have no complaints," the one in white, Fye, added, earning a glare from the other man.

Syaoran and Princess Sakura said nothing as Fye, Kurogane and the small white creature, Mokona, got into a small fight. They were too busy blushing.

"So, um, where are we?" Syaoran asked, looking at the strange houses and roads. There were some similarities to the first world they had went to, but the buildings weren't nearly as big.

A metallic roar that thundered ever closer filled their ears. Kurogane reached for his sword.

A motorcycle sped toward them and then came to a screeching halt. The pink haired and sparkling emerald-eyed rider wore no helmet as she gazed intently at the boy. "You're not Showron. You know where that mother-fucking jerk is?"

"Ah, no." Syaoran sweated nervously.

"If you see him, tell him Sakura Avalon is out for his ass." With no other words, she sped off on the bike.

"Was that supposed to be me?" Sakura wondered.

"Not a chance in hell," Kurogane spat.

Syaoran could only nod.

They tried to decide where to go as Mokona wasn't sure if one of Sakura's feathers was in this world, let alone where. A teenage boy with wild auburn hair and a scarred face that made him more attractive walked down the road. He stopped and gazed at Princess Sakura.

"The name's Showron. Care for a night to remember?" the scarred boy asked devilishly.

"Over my dead body," Syaoran snarled.

"That can be arranged, fucktard," Showron spat. "But if a night of bodily pleasure isn't your thing, how about something to pick up your spirits?" He held up a bag containing some white powder.

"Um, Avalon was just by looking for you," Sakura told him.

"Shit! That fucking bitch just won't figure out her place." Showron immediately ran off.

"Mokona, let's just leave now. I don't want to see any other fractured images that might be us," Sakura requested weakly. "They kind of look like us, but they certainly don't act like us."

"But there could be a feather...." Mokona trailed off, staring at a tall man in black with long flowing black hair holding a stack of books.

"Fey, you're so mean! Why won't you understand how much I love you?" bemoaned the guy who could've passed for Kurogane's twin sister, if the guy had breasts and a higher voice.

"We leave NOW!" Kurogane shouted.

Mokona nodded, leading the way through a new portal.

In another dimension, a witch laughed heartily. "That'll teach you not to give me white day presents!"

* * *

If the above world they appeared in resembles a specific fanfict, it is purely coincidental as I have never and will never read a story depicting Sakura or Syaoran in a gang as the very concept goes against who they are.


	13. Nadeshiko's Past, Sakura's Present

Chiharu wasn't sure how much help she was being, going through household items and sorting through things her mother might want to take with her to her new apartment. She was more cleaning the closet than helping her mother pack.

She briefly flipped through a photo album and initially put it in the pile of items that would stay at the house, but something didn't feel entirely right. She grabbed the album and looked at the picture that was on the first page. She had thought it was a picture of herself, Rika, Naoko, Tomoyo and Sakura. There were too many differences, namely the boys depicted in it were not Syaoran or Takashi and that 'Tomoyo' had short hair and 'Sakura' had long hair.

Chiharu got off the floor and rushed to her mother's bedroom. "Mom, what's with this picture?!"

"Oh, my! That brings back some memories of when I was your age." Mrs. Mihara took the photo album from her daughter.

Chiharu pointed at the image. "I can understand that I look like you did, but the other girls all look like my friends!"

"They should, considering that they ARE your friends' mothers. At least most of them. I can't be sure Sonomi-chan ever had a baby considering she stopped talking to me and my friends because we supported Sakura-chan's mother, Nadeshiko-chan, getting married," Mrs. Mihara explained, but seemed to want to say more about it.

Chiharu quizzically looked at the photo. "These really are my friends' mothers? Why didn't you tell us?"

"Have you forgotten when you were little and you would be babysat by your friends' mothers?" Mrs. Mihara pointed out.

Chiharu blinked. "Oh, right. But why haven't you, you know, talked to any of them lately?"

"What makes you think I don't talk to them?" Mrs. Mihara laughed. "I've probably talked more to them in the past year than you, considering you spent more time with your in-laws than me. Because of the situation with your father, I haven't had much chance to actually see them in far too long. Perhaps when I finish settling into my new home, I'll set up a get together or something."

Chiharu pouted. "I see..."

"Dear, don't think we've drifted apart. The only one to do that was Sonomi-chan." Mrs. Mihara sighed. "I'm sure you'll still be friends with Rika-chan and the others long after you've all become mothers."

Chiharu let out a sad chuckle. "I'm not sure about that. Sakura-chan will likely end up living in Hong Kong with her boyfriend. Tomoyo-chan will end up inheriting her mother's businesses and she'll certainly have no time for us. And I can easily see Rika-chan and Naoko-chan moving away as well."

Mrs. Mihara shook her head lightly. "Of course there'll be times when you'll all be apart. Except for Nadeshiko-chan, at one time or another each of my childhood friends weren't in Tokyo because of work or love, but we always found a way to keep in touch. It should be easier for you, considering the Internet and all."

"I see." Chiharu looked away. "That still doesn't exactly make me feel better."

Mrs. Mihara grabbed her daughter by the shoulder. "True friendship never dies. Even if you're hundreds of kilometers apart, a simple phone call can show how much you still care." She frowned as the pout didn't leave her daughter's face.

Mrs. Mihara sat down on her bed and patted the spot next to her. "Chiharu-chan, why don't you sit down and I'll tell you the story behind this photo? We were all friends before this, but the events leading up to this picture isn't something that could easily be thrown away."

"Didn't you tell me that your friend, Sonomi-san, did just that?" Chiharu pointed out.

Mrs. Mihara poked her daughter's nose. "I also said that it couldn't be easily done. The situation with Sonomi-chan and Nadeshiko-chan was... extremely complicated. I was literally forced to choose which one to side with, and I picked Nadeshiko-chan because I knew that she really loved Kinomoto-sensei. I had to lie to protect Nadeshiko-chan, but doing so cost me Sonomi-chan's friendship. But that's a different story than what I want to tell you about. It all began at the end of our third year of junior high, before any of us met Kinomoto-sensei..."

* * *

Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon

Chapter 13: Nadeshiko's Past, Sakura's Present

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

By: Lord Archive

Author's Warnings:

This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

Author's Note: Descriptions of the characters have intentionally been left out as Mrs. Mihara did not give any to Chiharu, since Chiharu already knows who is who, and to be a little game to figure which girl is the mother of the girls of CCS.

* * *

"So long, Tomoeda Junior High! You will not be missed!" Katsuhara proclaimed.

"Sure, but we'll only be going next door in a month for senior high," Masumi teased.

"Must you always dampen my good mood?" Katsuhara retorted.

Masumi folded her arms. "Oh, and I suppose you don't want to spend the weekend with me?"

Katsuhara pulled at his collar. "Oh, right... the manga convention. You've got the rooms?"

"Room, Dear. It'll just be you and me going, so we'll only need the one bed," Masumi corrected.

Katsuhara had a goofy grin. "Right. It'll be fun." His mind was obviously not on the convention, but on the sleeping arrangements. "Your parents are okay... with us going alone?"

Masumi smirked. "I'm sure they're not 'okay' with it. It's just that they know we're lovers already and want us to be married some day. They just aren't happy that it could be tomorrow if you've knocked me up."

A growl from Sonomi caused them to look at her. "Don't talk about such things!"

"Why I think it's sweet of them to be so close. First grade sweethearts being together forever," Nadeshiko commented with a bubbly smile. "If only I had my own number one person to love and hold me."

Yuuka laughed. "Nadeshiko isn't as naive as she appears."

Jyou, the strangely blond haired part-Japanese boy behind Yuuka, groaned. "If only you were naive."

Yuuka whirled on her boyfriend. "That's a thing to say to me after you left me alone for a year! I waited for you! You didn't meet some girl in California, did you?"

Jyou let out a sigh. "No. There is only one girl for me, and that's you. I certainly appreciate that you waited for me, but can't you still wait?"

"Why?" Yuuka demanded. "You know we could be married right now."

"And with what income?" Jyou retorted. "I want to be able to support you. I can't do that yet."

"You know, we don't HAVE to be married first...," Yuuka cooed.

"YUUKA-CHAN?!" cried out Jyou and Sonomi, for completely different reasons. The others laughed at them.

Yukiko smiled at them, wishing her boyfriend was part of her circle of friends. Her handsome jock preferred being with his sports bodies to being with 'taken girls,' 'girls with violent bodyguards,' and 'nerds.' She attempted to strangle him for the comment, but she did understand him to a point. She didn't particularly want to feel like a little girl around his big and tall friends.

* * *

The calls began after dinner. Sonomi was frantic as she phoned all of Nadeshiko's friends. Sonomi hoped the girl had found her way to someone she knew. In all cases, the reply was the same, the last they had seen of Nadeshiko was when the girl left for home with Sonomi.

Still, Sonomi and Nadeshiko's friends went to where Sonomi had last seen her cousin. The police were there, as an heiress to a large company precluded the normal wait on missing persons. After a blizzard of questions, some stilted into suggesting Sonomi had something to do with Nadeshiko's disappearance, the officers left to process what they had found.

"How inept can these people be?!" Sonomi cried out in frustration. "I saw Nadeshiko HERE, she wasn't taken HERE but somewhere between here and her home!"

Yukiko folded her arms irritably. "Normally I'd say you're exaggerating, but right now they think you're the leading suspect."

"WHAT?! I'd never hurt Nadeshiko-chan!" Sonomi protested.

Yuuka scowled darkly. "You'd rather get into her panties. But I'm afraid that's why they think you had something to do with it. You tried something with her, she rejected you, and you got angry."

"I don't get angry! Especially not at Nadeshiko-chan!" Sonomi yelled in rage. "And where did they get the idea that I liked Nadeshiko-chan that way?!"

Yuuka flushed. "I was trying to help by pointing out that you love her too much to do such a thing."

Masumi laughed hollowly. "You getting angry, sure. But you hurting Nadeshiko-chan? You'd rather slit your own wrists. We know you couldn't live with yourself if you did anything to her. Hell, you were a basket case when she broke her leg on that skiing trip you took with her."

Yukiko put her arm around her upset friend. "We know you had nothing to do with this, and we're going to help you."

The girls started to search between where Sonomi last saw her cousin and Nadeshiko's home. As night fell, they reluctantly returned home.

Sonomi had only briefly gone to her house, and returned with flashlights and six burly, male bodyguards her parents employed. Nadeshiko's other friends also returned, including Jyou and Katsuhara, to help with the search for any clue or sign of the lost girl. As the night wore on, all of the girls refused any suggestion from the guards to take a break and go home to get some sleep.

The limited light and growing weariness made the search difficult, but they pressed on for any clue, no matter how small.

"I think I found something," Jyou called out.

"Really?!" Sonomi was next to him in a second, but then scowled at what he was pointing at. "What's so important about a matchbook?"

"It rained yesterday, yet this is completely dry. So it could've only been dropped today. And I don't know about you, but how many people in this neighborhood would go to a bar in Shibuya?"

"Shibuya?" one of the guards growled. "This is not good at all. Nadeshiko-hime might be in more danger than we thought."

"What do you mean by that?!" Sonomi demanded.

"That does not concern you just yet," the guard replied. "We certainly have to let the police know of this."

"Why should we tell those idiots anything!" Sonomi cried out. "They think I'm the one who took Nadeshiko away!"

"More reason for us tell them, to clear your name," the guard replied neutrally.

"We don't have time!" Sonomi persisted. "We should go rescue her now! Who knows what awful things they're doing to her. We have to rescue her!"

"Bringing Nadeshiko-hime home safely is out top priority." The bodyguard pointed his finger at Sonomi's face. "It's also our responsibility to make sure YOU remain safe as well."

"I don't matter! I'm not the heir! Nadeshiko IS! We have to save her!" Sonomi demanded.

"And WE will. YOU need to go home," the bodyguard told her in a tone that would take no objection.

* * *

Hours later, Sonomi stood with her friend across the street from the bar the matchbook named, but her bodyguards were no where to be found.

"You know, I really don't like the name of this bar," Masumi commented.

"What's wrong with Aka Hikari? It sounds nice. Maybe they use cute red light bulbs like their name suggests," Yuuka commented.

Masumi folded her arms. "You do know that 'red light districts' is the term for an area of prostitution, don't you?"

"Well if they're out for virgins, you're safe, Masumi-chan," Yukiko teased to cover up her anxiety.

"This is hardly the time for that!" Masumi shot back.

Sonomi nearly tore the white handkerchief she was chewing on into little pieces. "Why would they take Nadeshiko-chan to a horrid place like this?!"

"Hopefully for ransom," Yukiko said dryly.

Yuuka hugged herself. "I wish we had your bodyguards with us."

"They would've never let us go to save Nadeshiko-chan!" Sonomi reminded. "Why are we standing here? Let's go get her!"

"Because Masumi at least thought of making sure you had some sort of back-up."

The girls turned and most of them smiled at seeing Katsuhara and Jyou walking towards them.

"Thanks, Dear," Masumi chirped at her boyfriend. "Now let's go save our friend."

Despite the girls' bravado, they were all rather scared entering the darken bar. All conversation stopped at their appearance. The eyes of twenty men were on them along with the lone female's eyes, a scantily clad waitress who didn't appear old enough to drink what she was serving.

"We don't have a kid's menu," the bar tender shot at the group.

Masumi slid closer to the bar. "Are you sure you don't have kids on the menu? My friends and I could use a bit of extra cash."

"The front isn't the worker's entrance," the bar tender replied in a low voice. "You're rather plain, but you at least have a decent chest for a kid." He emphasized his point by grabbing her right breast.

Katsuhara grabbed the wrist of the offending hand and tried to squeeze it painfully.

The bar tender laughed. "You know merchandise has to be tested, don't you?"

"Is that what you're doing to my precious Nadeshiko-chan?! Testing her?! What have you done with her?!" Sonomi cried out, unable to remain silent any more.

"Looks like this may all be free merchandise." The bartender made a signal with his free hand and six of the patrons immediately got up.

"Are you the bastards that kidnapped my cousin?!" Sonomi demanded. "Are you the ones who took her to this dreadful place?!"

One of the men slapped Sonomi across the face. "You should be more concerned with yourself. By the time we're done training you, you won't remember you had a family."

"Training?" one of the patrons sitting at the table questioned. "Are you saying those girls aren't here because they want to be but because you broke them?"

"You have to break a girl to make her a good whore," was the laughing reply.

The patron got up and decked the man who said that. "I may have shit luck finding a girlfriend, but when I buy a girl's time it should be her fucking decision!"

"Bad mistake," the bar tender growled. "And you were such a good customer."

Katsuhara broke a nearby glass and stabbed the bartender's arm with its shards. With the cry of pain, all hell broke loose as the patrons began fighting either each other or the men who worked for the bar.

With the chaos of battle, the waitress opened the way to the back rooms, which the girls took the opportunity to search for their missing friend.

When the police arrived, the fighting only escalated.

The men up front weren't the only ones to work at the bar. The girls found themselves face to face with two burly men. If not for Jyou and Katsuhara following them, they would've been over powered easily. Even with the boys' help, overcoming the two men proved difficult. It was only after Masumi landed a kick on one of the guy's privates that the two men fell to the angry teenagers, with Yukiko choking the other one to unconsciousness.

"Where's Sonomi-chan?" Yuuka wondered.

The others shared confused looks. Sonomi had been with them. As if to answer their question, they heard a scream. But the voice was not Sonomi's but Nadeshiko's.

They took off running toward where they heard the scream. Going into the room, they saw Nadeshiko tied up and still wearing her junior high uniform in the corner of the room. Sonomi stood in the middle panting with unseeing eyes. The lead pipe dropping from her hand and clattering to the ground seemed to wake her as the girl rushed to see her cousin, unmindful the blood on her own face. Laid out on the floor was a man with a broken jaw, his rasping breaths showing he was still alive.

"Sonomi-chan... Why did you hurt him? Why?" Nadeshiko questioned with tears.

"Anyone who hurts you doesn't deserve mercy," Sonomi spat in an unemotional voice. "He deserves more than what I did."

"You mean 'what I did.'"

The group turned to look and saw the Amamiya family bodyguards. "You are all to leave out the back. We'll take responsibility for rescuing Nadeshiko-hime."

"Why would you need to?" Katsuhara asked. "We were saving a friend."

"The police may not be so kind to vigilantes that caused serious injuries to people, individuals who started a riot, and are too young to be deemed credible witnesses," the bodyguard pointed out. "Amamiya-sama will take care of the legal issues for us, but that is of no concern for you. Go before the police get back here."

* * *

Katsuhara crumbled up the newspaper and tossed it at a trash bin at Tsukimine Shrine, but missed. "Not a word of Amamiya-chan's kidnapping or the riot at the bar."

"It's to be expected. We can't let people know that it was easy to take an heir to the Amamiya fortune," Sonomi retorted in a flat voice that had yet to get emotion back after her role in rescuing her cousin.

"You all really shouldn't have gone so far to help me," Nadeshiko told them barely over a whisper.

"You're our friend. Of course we'll go to help you when you're in trouble. I know you'd do the same for us," Yukiko retorted.

Nadeshiko barely nodded. She then glanced at her cousin, whom she stood further from than had been normal.

Masumi held up a camera. "We might not be able let everyone know, but we should at least have some momento of our adventure."

"Who's going to take the picture?" Yukiko asked.

Masumi briefly pouted. She looked around. "Hey, Kaho-chan!"

A young girl of five years ran up to the group. "You want me to take a group photo?"

Masumi nodded. "Do you know how one works?"

Kaho's eyes seemed to stare off for a moment. "Yeah. I can do it!" She grinned at the group as they moved to stand together. "On the count of three say, 'Sakura!' One, two, three..."

"Sakura!" the group chorused with a few giggles.

Kaho snapped the picture and handed the camera back to Masumi. She turned and looked at Nadeshiko with a warm look. "Believe in your heart, and don't let anyone stop you from being with your number one person."

Nadeshiko blinked in confusion as the girl ran off. "What did she mean by that? I haven't found my special person yet."

The others shrugged cluelessly.

They had the picture developed and copied for each of them.

Nadeshiko was in the center of the photo, smiling brightly. In May of the following year, she married Kinomoto-sensei against the wishes of her family.

Sonomi stood to the left of her cousin, but a sense of innocence had been lost on her. She held a strong look of an adult that seemed to make her appear more distant from Nadeshiko than she was in the photo.

Yuuka was draped over Jyou. He would keep bouncing between Tokyo and California, where he was born, for the next few years because of his father's work. When it was time for him to go to college, Yuuka finally had cornered him and went with him as Mrs. Sasaki Yuuka.

To Nadeshiko's right was Yukiko. The lack of her boyfriend in the photo should've been warning enough, but she didn't heed that. She believed she was in love with her handsome jock, even if she throttled his neck every time he got lost in some sports story. Losing her virginity to him was one of her great regrets in life, starting when she learned that he had slept with another girl just weeks later. Not noticing Mihara attending school with her, but in the grade above her, was another regret. Despite having been near each other throughout life, it was not until college that they got to know each other and fall in love.

Masumi and Katsuhara held each other next to Yukiko. The surprise with those two was not that they married immediately after graduating high school, but that they didn't have a baby until after starting business careers. For being the first of the group to become sexually active, becoming parents proved a difficult task for Yanagisawa Katsuhara and Masumi.

* * *

Chiharu's eyes were wide and staring at her mother.

Yukiko smirked. "Bet you didn't think we had such relationships at your age. We certainly made things more complicated for ourselves than it needed to be. At least your friends don't have to worry about that stuff."

Chiharu laughed nervously.

Yukiko blinked. "Don't tell me...?"

"Repeating history... just with different pairings. Sakura-chan is the one with the foreign boyfriend...," Chiharu trailed off.

"So which one has it bad for a teacher? Tomoyo-chan, Naoko-chan or Rika-chan?" Yukiko asked in a half-joking tone that hoped it was just a joke.

"Mom..." Chiharu looked away.

"You won't say, will you?" Yukiko pressed with concern.

"I don't want them to be hurt," Chiharu insisted.

Yukiko sighed, knowing the trouble that Nadeshiko had with her family and hoping it would not be repeated this generation. "I understand. I did much the same for Nadeshiko-chan. I can only hope your friend doesn't have to deal with the same hardships she had to go through and that the other two aren't like Sonomi-chan and me."

Chiharu let out a forced laugh. "I doubt it." Though she wasn't completely sure. Tomoyo couldn't like Sakura that way, could she? And Naoko should be 'safe' with Asaba, considering it was highly unlikely he could attract the attention of another girl. As for Sakura... "Didn't you say Sakura-chan's mother was some sort of heir?"

Yukiko nodded. "Nadeshiko-chan was supposed to inherit her family's businesses, but because she married someone her grandfather didn't approve of... she was disowned. Despite how happy Kinomoto-sensei made Nadeshiko-chan, it was a horrible time for her having her beloved grandfather turn his back on her and losing the sisterly friendship she had with Sonomi-chan as well. Getting pregnant and being expelled from school didn't help her, but she found a way to stay cheerful with the man she loved."

Chiharu swallowed hard. With the rocky relationship Rika had with her mother, the situation might be even worse for her friend. Especially if Rika somehow managed to pin Terada-sensei down and make him 'guilty' of statutory rape, even though the girl would have been the rapist. At least Sakura had it comparatively easier with her relationship, as everyone, including her father and Li's mother, supported them being together. Too bad her own situation wasn't as easy as Naoko's parents, considering they had not gotten into any trouble for having sex as children and engaged in it of their own free will. If Naoko was to become sexually active, her parents would be rather hypocritical if they got upset over it.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Chapter 14 - Sakura and Syaoran's Duet Sakura returns to school and learns of the latest English project, sing a song in English. Reiko is not about to let it be easy for her.

This Omake is a scene that is going on roughly at the same time as this chapter but does not fit into the other chapters.

* * *

Sakura sighed with a touch of boredom. Being stuck at the Daidouji mansion while recovering from the last attack left her with little to do besides homework. She was almost back to full health and magic, but Syaoran was still weak from over using his magic and dipping into his life energy.

As Sakura played with her boyfriend's hair while he slept, her mind wandered to many different places. Even the things she didn't want to think about, including who might be behind these attacks and Reiko.

The door opening a crack brought a welcome distraction to Sakura's boredom. "Hi, Tomoyo-chan. How was your day?" Sakura whispered in order to not wake her boyfriend.

Tomoyo glided quietly across the room and took the chair next to her best friend's side of the bed. "It was okay."

"Has Reiko-chan been picking on you?" Sakura asked seriously.

"Reiko-chan has been bothering everybody." Tomoyo smirked slightly. "Though she's doing us a favor. With you and Syaoran away from school, and her pranks on me and others, it's taking suspicion off of us for doing such things."

Sakura pouted. "Still doesn't make it right."

"You'll figure some way to send her on to heaven, I'm sure of it," Tomoyo cheered softly.

"Wish I could be so sure," Sakura replied.

Both girls looked at the door as one of the Daidouji guards looked in, nodded at them, and then left.

The ever-present guards led to another question for Sakura. "Since when did they know I had magic?"

"Since you captured The Shadow," Tomoyo chirped.

"Wheeeee?!" Sakura cried out in surprise. "Why didn't you tell me they knew all this time?"

"Well, I didn't want to worry you about them. Besides if you knew they were watching and recording you using magic, you would've been more cautious in your use of magic and less likely to try some of my more fanciful dresses." Tomoyo began to laugh in her own demented style.

"Daidouji is being evil again," Syaoran muttered sleepily.

Sakura wanted to refute her boyfriend's statement, but he was right.


	14. Sakura and Syaoran's Duet

Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon

Chapter 14: Sakura and Syaoran's Duet

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

By: Lord Archive

Author's Warnings:

This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Sakura yawned and stretched, happily waking up in her own bed. While she certainly liked having Syaoran sleeping next to her, they had, perhaps, been a tad too close. She hadn't noticed it when she first woke up from her coma, but she had only been wearing an oversized T-shirt and a diaper. While she certainly understood the necessity of it considering she had been asleep for a full week, it was still mortifying having worn a diaper at her age. To make matters worse, becoming upset at how Syaoran made one of his cards caused him to use some of his depleted magic. After eating, he collapsed and she had to resume feeding him her energy, making her fall unconscious as well. When she woke up again the following day, she was being bathed with Syaoran by his mother.

Sakura's face took an intense red glow. Memories of Syaoran in the bath with her overrode the fact that his mother had bathed her and had changed her diaper as if she had been a little girl.

"Thinking about the brat again?" Kero-chan groused.

"Syaoran is not a brat," Sakura quickly retorted.

"But you were thinking of him," Kero-chan pressed.

Sakura nodded, her flushed face still bright red. The memory of Syaoran sitting next to her in the bath would never leave her mind. She had seen more of the boy than she would admit to anyone. She was embarrassed enough for the both of them. She even had to change Syaoran's adult diaper late one night. Thankfully, he was never awake when she was naked. At least she hoped so, considering he might have woken up while her diaper was being changed.

"If you keep day dreaming, you'll be late for school... again," Kero-chan reminded strongly.

Sakura glanced at the time and cried out. "I don't have much time!"

Kero-chan folded his arms as he watched the girl rush in getting ready for the day. One of these days he was going to set the girl's alarm clock fifteen minutes ahead and never tell her.

* * *

Sakura stared in disbelief when she arrived at the school. Windows had holes in them. Graffiti was sprayed on the walls. Chairs decorated a tree like Christmas ornaments. And that was just her first glance.

"Ichimai has been busy," Syaoran muttered.

Sakura could only nod. All of this was caused by a girl venting impotent rage at having died before her time. "How is Reiko-chan able to do so much?"

"Honestly, I think she was brought over by whoever is out to get you, hoping that she would kill you," Syaoran reluctantly told her. "She received more power that allows her to do more than she could have otherwise."

Sakura pouted. "And if that person had nothing to do with this?"

"The more Ichimai gives into her anger, the more she can do..." Syaoran looked away. "And if she loses herself completely to her anger... she'll be dragged into hell for all eternity."

Sakura's eyes went wide. "We've got to save her!" She then let out a squeak of surprise when Syaoran roughly shoved her away from him a split second before a desk landed where she had been standing.

Syaoran growled threateningly as he glared at a destroyed window to his classroom. Words dying on his lips as he knew uttering them would only make Sakura upset at him. "Let's go inside."

Sakura pouted as she stood up and grabbed the desk.

Syaoran had almost forgotten that it was the responsibility of students to maintain the school. "Let me take that."

Sakura shook her head. "It's okay. It's my desk."

Syaoran scowled deeply as he noticed the now-damaged desk had 'murderer' scratched deeply into it. He still yanked the desk from her hands and proceeded to carry it into the school.

Sakura pouted, but followed him without another word.

Arriving at their classroom, Sakura and Syaoran found Tomoyo putting tablecloths over each of the desks. The ones that were not yet covered held similar scratches as Sakura's desk.

Sakura blinked at one. "Why would Yoshikawa-kun's desk have 'tiny' on it? He's the tallest guy in the class."

Syaoran's face immediately went bright red while Tomoyo began laughing.

Sakura pursed her lips as neither gave her an answer yet both seemed to know why. What could possibly be 'tiny' in regards to the basketball player that would make Reiko...? She then blinked and her face went red. "Oh... never mind. Didn't need to know that."

Syaoran coughed. "Right."

"It's the reason why I'm covering the desks. Thankfully many will deny what the scratches say, making it unlikely for anyone to probe into certain ones," Tomoyo informed. "I'm just thankful I had classroom duty today so I could cover them up."

Syaoran set Sakura's desk down and frowned at how the now damaged legs gave the desk a rather drastic lean. He tried to bend the legs back, but wasn't able to budge them until Sakura quietly muttered two words, 'Power, release.' Then it became a matter of being careful with his strength in order to not rip the legs off.

Meiling arrived with fresh flowers, being the other student with classroom duty for the week. She set one of them carefully down on the center of Reiko's desk.

Tomoyo scowled at the sign of respect, mostly because of what was etched in a few of the desks. Particularly 'lesbian' on her own and the rather vulgar reference on Rika's, inferring the girl's relationship with a teacher.

Several of the school's sports players arrived and immediately went to Reiko's desk and placed offerings to her and began to pray in either Christian or Shinto manners.

"Hoe?" Sakura emitted, looking at her friends.

Meiling smirked. "Some students, particularly the jocks, are starting to believe the ghost of Ichimai is the one behind these pranks. Some of the things done used knowledge only she had."

Sakura frowned deeply.

* * *

Sakura pouted at her boyfriend as he seemed to still be in a case of nervous shock.

"What's wrong with Li-kun?" Takashi asked, moving to sit with his wife and their friends during lunch.

Sakura turned away. "Syaoran-kun... doesn't sing very well."

Tomoyo blinked. "Coming from you, that must mean he's rather... bad."

Meiling laughed. "Oh, he's hideous at singing. Like a strangled cat. He could try blaming stage fright when he sang for school back in Hong Kong, but that'd be a lie. He can't hold a tune at all."

"At least we're not being graded for how well we sing," Chiharu commented. "We just have to get the lyrics out in English."

"That part should at least be easy for Li-kun," Rika tried to cheer.

"Any idea on what you all want to sing?" Naoko wondered.

"I was thinking 'My Heart Will Go On' by Celine Dion," Tomoyo mentioned.

"'Butterfly' for me," Meiling added.

"I'm really not sure what I could do," Sakura muttered out.

Tomoyo's eyes sparkled. "I've got a brilliant idea! Why don't you duet with Li-kun?"

"Absolutely not!" Syaoran barked out. "I cannot let her suffer because of me."

"Let me finish," Tomoyo admonished. "A duet would work well for you. With Sakura-chan taking the lead and setting the tempo, it would be easier for you to follow. And I have the perfect song for you. It can be sung with less melody and more like you're talking."

"Which song would that be?" Sakura wondered.

"'Somewhere Out There,'" Tomoyo replied. "It's a rather sweet song. I had thought of it as being a kind of theme for you when Li-kun was in Hong Kong. After all, one of the lines refers to you both being under the same bright star."

Sakura and Syaoran blushed, though both of them were still worried about singing in front of the class.

"At least you're decided. I have no clue what I want to sing," Chiharu grumbled.

"I'm sure Daidouji and I can help," Meiling offered. "Half the radio stations in Hong Kong are English only and music is second only to Daidouji's love for videotaping Kinomoto."

* * *

Sakura was rather surprised at herself as she arrived at her school at midnight. When she was ten, even the idea of coming to school in the middle of the night scared her to death. She had been afraid that there were ghosts walking the hallways, but there had only been Clow Cards then. Now, here she was about to face a ghost she knew to be there.

Kero-chan floated behind her, unsure whether he should be cheering on her bravery or denouncing her use of magic in the way the girl planned. Course, there was no going back now with Tomoyo videotaping this and Sakura wearing what looked more like a French Maid's outfit than a battle costume. Black lace and with white accents, and a short frilly skirt that couldn't get much shorter. There was quite a bit of cleavage shown as well.

"So, how do you plan to send Reiko-chan to heaven?" Tomoyo wondered.

"I don't have a clue," Sakura replied. "I'm just trying to undo some of what she has done." She pulled off her necklace and held her magical charm before her. "O Key which hides the power of the stars, reveal thy true form before me. I, Sakura, command thee under contract... RELEASE!" The small charm was now a meter-long wand with a star at it's top which she held up as she threw two into the air. "Erase and Shadow... undo what Reiko-chan has done... RELEASE!"

From the two cards that had been spinning over Sakura's wand, a living shadow and a woman dressed like a court jester exploded from them. Immediately the graffiti painted on the walls began to vanish as the female jester passed them and the shadows came to life picking up the chairs and desks and moving them back into the school.

Sakura pouted as she noticed Erase couldn't do everything she wanted. The card worked well for taking off the paint, but it could do nothing for broken windows beyond removing the broken shards. And at the rate things were going, it'd take them all night to correct the school's vandalism. "Fix as much as you can, Earthy, Fiery, Sand, and Wood... RELEASE!"

"SAKURA!" Kero-chan cried out. "That's waaaaay too much. What happens if you're attacked tomorrow?"

"I'll just be sure to stick close to Syaoran-kun and Meiling-chan," Sakura replied.

Tomoyo let out a surprised gasp that went unnoticed by the others. Was Sakura starting to figure out who might be behind the attacks? Or at least noticing the aversion to putting those two in danger?

"Like that would be good enough!" Kero-chan shot back. "They're nowhere near as powerful as you."

"Syaoran-kun does have two cards of his own now, and Meiling-chan would've been a great help against the assassin, so I'm sure she can be of help in the future," Sakura reminded.

Then again, maybe it was all just a matter of trust, Tomoyo mused. Her camera was now focus on The Sand card filling in the broken windows and The Fiery blasting the sand into glass. She then saw how The Earthy was fixing holes in the ground and walls. The Wood was erasing the scratches on desks and The Shadow continued to put things back where they belonged.

"Holy fucking shit!"

Sakura turned her head and sighed at the startled look of the ghost. "Reiko-chan, you've got to stop with these awful pranks."

"You've had this much fucking power and you're doing NOTHING with it? What the hell is with you, you stupid airhead? I bet you can even revive the dead!" Reiko yelled.

Sakura pouted at her. "No one can bring back the dead. If I could, I would've done that already. And what could I possibly be using my magic for?"

"Oh, I don't know... saving people from burning buildings, maybe? Or rescuing people from earthquakes? How about the tsunami? Did you go out and try to stop it?" Reiko taunted.

Giant wings sprouted around Kero-chan, which parted to reveal Cerberus. "Those things are easier said than done! Sakura had to learn the hard way from YOUR death that there are things she can't change. Natural disasters happen, and there's nothing even people with power can do to prevent them. Trying to save lives of people who were meant to die just dooms others who were supposed to live. Just as saving Daidouji-san meant your death, saving one victim of a disaster means causing a person who would have lived to die."

"Kero-chan... is that really true?" Sakura demanded. "Couldn't I... Shouldn't I have done something then?"

Cerberus hated it when Sakura pressed him to tell the truth, even when it wasn't something she wanted to hear. "There wasn't much you could've done. Made it easier for the survivors, maybe. Been able to save a few meaningless lives of people who would change nothing of the future, possibly. Have any real, long-term impact? Only if your actions made magic public knowledge, which could end up being a far worse disaster for you."

Reiko growled angrily and rushed forward. Her hands wrapped around Sakura's neck and began to squeeze. "You have the powers of a fucking god and yet you do nothing! You could help so many people! Do things to help the world! Why don't you use your powers?"

Reiko shrieked in pain as Cerberus struck her with his claws, pushing her away from Sakura. "You know nothing! What you ask isn't as easy as you think it is! If it was, Sakura would've been able to save your life, but she couldn't without someone else dying!"

Tomoyo cleared her voice. "While I can't hear you, Reiko-chan, I know you can hear me. I can guess you're asking why Sakura-chan doesn't use her powers to help others. What a hypocritical thing for you to say. Would you really use her powers to help others if you had them or just help yourself? You who avoided becoming friends with others? You who whored out her body in order to get brief companionship and popularity? You're even currently in possession of powers beyond any normal person and yet you have only brought pain and suffering to others."

"Tomoyo-chan watch out!" Sakura cried out.

There was no way Tomoyo could do such a thing, being unable to see the ghost. She felt a wave cold wash over her and unnatural fear gripped her. However, the feelings passed, and she stood there unharmed. Though one would think Sakura had been the one attacked as the girl was pale and throwing up all over the ground. Tomoyo let out a small sigh. "I guess I should be thankful I have no magic."

Cerberus nodded with a disgusted look. "She's gone for now, but she'll be back."

Tomoyo nodded and let out a relieved sigh. "Let's finish this up quickly and go home."

* * *

Teikei couldn't believe his eyes. He had made a request from people who lived in the area to let him know if they saw anyone entering the school at night. And last night someone did report two girls doing just that. The girls were described to look a lot like Kinomoto Sakura and Daidouji Tomoyo. However, from the looks of it, there had to be more than just those two.

The graffiti was gone, the broken windows were replaced, the floors scrubbed clean, the desks held no scratches and all were where they should be. He just couldn't believe it. Even if he set the entire school to task, it'd take days to repair all the damage, yet somehow it had been done over night.

Making his way through the school Teikei searched for any sign of vandalism, wanting proof that he wasn't going mad and that the damages that had been at the school weren't just his imagination. All he found was Kinomoto and Daidouji, dressed in their school uniforms, sleeping at their desks looking completely innocent, especially with the former clutching onto a stuffed animal.

* * *

"Why can't I sing 'Butterfly?'" Meiling demanded loudly.

The American-born English teacher didn't know whether he should be upset at the way she was speaking to him or thankful that not everyone at this school was bound to rigid discipline. "Because as I specified when I presented the assignment, the song has to be entirely in English. 'Samurai' is a word of Japanese origin."

"So? English is the bastard child of Romantic and Germanic languages. Everything in English has roots in other languages. The English word for samurai IS samurai!" Meiling protested.

The teacher shook his head. "The song is still not allowed."

"How about 'Bumble Bee?'" Meiling growled.

The teacher shook his head. "Already taken."

"'Kung-Fu Fighting?'" Meiling hissed.

"'Kung-Fu' isn't English," the teacher retorted.

"And 'konpyuuta' is so Japanese," Meiling grossed. "Kung-Fu is both an English word, encompassing more martial arts styles than it does in China, and is NOT of Japanese origin."

"Look, just find a song that doesn't have any obvious non-English origin words in it. You're the only person in class to have trouble with this," the teacher explained.

Meiling seethed and stomped off towards her seat.

The teacher then looked over the class. "We'll start off with Yamazaki Takashi."

Takashi immediately stood up and went to the front of the room without hesitation. He suspected his song choice on top of being classroom representative was the reason why he was going first. He had very much expected it.

The teacher set the karaoke machine to the song the boy had requested and pressed play. He did not focus his attention on the boy, but on the class. What the boy had requested would give him a good idea on how much comprehension his class had. The song started normally enough, sounding a lot like any generic love song, but when he sang the song's name, 'You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman,' three heads in the back of the class crashed against their desks.

The immediate reaction from the Li cousins and Kinomoto came as a bit of a surprise to the teacher, but it was satisfying to see they had enough knowledge to figure out what was being sung. The looks of confusion going into realization from a few students was more what he expected to see, though he would not want to be in the boy's shoes as his wife was looking increasingly upset. Though the reactions from Yamazaki's friends, particularly Daidouji's attempting to stifle her own laughter, suggested the boy knew what the song was and that he was singing it as part of some sort of inside joke. He fought the urge to frown at the number of students in class who just listened and didn't seem to understand a word of what the boy was singing.

The teacher debated asking the class to guess what the song meant, but decided against embarrassing the Yamazaki couple, if the boy could be embarrassed. Instead he went to the next person on his list. This time not to gauge the class's reaction but to get an unbearable song out of way. He hated Celine Dion, and doubted anyone could pull off a song that she had trouble singing.

"Daidouji Tomoyo, you're next," the teacher announced.

What followed was the voice of an angel. He watched her with rapt attention as the girl sang 'My Heart Will Go On' better than the artist who made it 'popular.'

He did not notice that Tomoyo seemed to be singing to a specific person, in fact only one person did.

* * *

"Who's strangling a cat?" Touya asked as he walked into his father's home.

"Be nice, Niichan!" Sakura cried out and cast a glare at him as he entered the dining room.

Touya scowled at the boy with her. "What's the brat doing here?"

Syaoran returned the gaze with equal hostility.

"We're practicing for our English assignment. We have to sing an English song in front of the class," Sakura muttered out.

Yukito followed Touya in and took in the scene. "I remember having that assignment in senior high. Though I wonder why you're doing it in junior high. You don't have to write a report about it, do you?"

"I hope not! Getting him to sing on key is hard enough!" Sakura blurted out. She then blushed and looked at her boyfriend with frightened embarrassment. "Ah, Syaoran-kun I, ah, didn't mean..."

"I suck at singing," Syaoran said bluntly.

"That's not true! You just need... practice. Lots of practice," Sakura tried to encourage.

Touya smirked. "Some things can't be fixed with practice."

"Now be nice Toya," Yukito chastised lightly. "You know very well not everyone can sing well. With Sakura-chan's help I sure he'll be far from the worst singer in their class."

Sakura really wanted to get off of the topic of her boyfriend's lack of singing ability. "What did you sing for English class?"

Yukito grinned broadly. "'Fly Me to the Moon,' of course."

Sakura and Syaoran laughed sheepishly and said in unison, "Of course."

Yukito's smile grew even bigger. "And Toya sang 'White Wedding.'"

Syaoran made a strangled noise while Sakura looked a tad confused. "Never heard of that song. Was Niichan singing it for you?"

"No, not for me." Yukito cast a teasing gaze towards his lover. "Though he may yet sing it because of you."

"Hoe? 'Because of me?'" Sakura asked in confusion.

Between Touya glaring at both of the guys in the room, Yukito becoming suddenly tight lipped, and Syaoran looking like his body was trying to commit suicide out of sheer embarrassment, there was no answer to Sakura's question.

* * *

"'Do You Really Want Me?'" Meiling asked her English teacher.

The teacher sighed. "I'm afraid that was already taken."

Meiling growled. "'Mortal Kombat?'"

The teacher answered her with a withering gaze, and the girl stomped back to her seat.

"Yamada Natsume, you're up," the teacher announced.

Meiling fought the urge to moan as the girl butchered 'Do You Really Want Me' with mispronounced words and bad timing.

As the song ended, the teacher asked the class, "If anyone has an idea what the song is about, please raise your hand." He pointed at one of the students to answer.

"Ah, it's asking if a girl is good enough for a guy," the boy nervously stated.

"Close, it's more about asking the guy to not take the girl for granted. It's less about the girl not being worthy and more about the boy not giving enough attention to the girl," the teacher explained. "And, by the way, Yoshikawa Hitoshi, you're next."

The boy nodded and fidgeted as he went to the front of the class. As the song began Meiling wanted to throw her desk at either the singer or the teacher. The boy was singing 'Bumble Bee!' by Aqua, NOT the DDR version, which was why she wanted to hit the teacher. The lyrics including 'wham bam, thank you mam' was why she wanted to maim the boy.

Meiling briefly considered asking to do DDR's 'Butterfly' again, but decided against bothering. There were 'non-English words' in it, if you count gibberish as being words. And requesting a song of the same name that Yoshikawa used was not something she wanted to do. Both in regards to his song's rather poor view of sex and because of Reiko's pronouncement of his lack of endowment.

The teacher didn't ask the class what they thought the lyrics meant, likely because he was afraid they'd guess right. The teacher went straight to the next student to sing, who sang 'I Believe I Can Fly.' It wasn't horribly done in Meiling's opinion, but certainly could've been better. However, when the teacher asked for what this song might mean, Yamazaki's grin and waving hand set the Chinese girl on edge. He couldn't possibly have some story for this, could he? The dread only increased as the boy was indeed called on to answer.

Takashi stood up proudly. "It's a song R Kelly wrote about the joys of having sex with underage girls."

Meiling grabbed her forehead while most of the class started laughing. Not a story, but just as bad. At least the teacher was pale and in utter shock. Though she had to wonder why Yamazaki did stuff that he knew would make his wife exact physical pain against him. Her mind dipped into the gutter, and tried to shake a rather unpleasant sexual image of Chiharu whipping her husband and him begging for more.

The teacher finally coughed. "Ah, erm, well... next song, ah, Yanagisawa Naoko."

Meiling was quite thankful that Yamazaki's explanation of the R Kelly song's meaning had brought laughter to the class that had not fully waned. As a new joke was now presented that would be bad if certain individuals learned why it was a joke. Naoko was singing the Beetle's song, 'Paperback Writer.'

* * *

Tomoyo hummed the song Naoko had sung as she went to wash her hands after using the bathroom. After making sure her hands were clean, she looked up and jumped in surprise. Behind her image was Reiko glaring at her. Tomoyo fought the urge to turn around, knowing that Reiko would only disappear. Whether the dead girl was inside the mirror or was floating behind her, Tomoyo didn't know nor cared. Reiko began to talk, but she couldn't hear a word.

"Hold on a moment," Tomoyo insisted nervously. She reached for her book-bag, careful never to take her eyes off the ghost in the mirror. She stretched her arm almost painfully as she finally grabbed the handles and hefted the bag up and placed it on the sink. She groped blindly for the item she wanted in the bag, unwilling to lose sight of the ghost. She smiled as she found it and pulled out the cassette recorder. She hit the record button and said, "Okay, Ichimai, go ahead and talk."

Tomoyo watched as the dead girl said something. She stopped the tape, hit rewind and then play. There was something on the tape. She tried again, this time with the volume cranked up all the way and she distinctly heard, "...Lesbian whore..."

"I am a virgin, thank you very much," Tomoyo retorted. "And if you must blame someone for your death, blame me. If I would have been stronger in dealing with my mother's death, Sakura-chan wouldn't have chosen to save her over you."

The ghostly voice on the tape replied, "I blame you and... air-head."

Tomoyo paused in thought. "Why have you attacked everyone else?"

"No one... be my friend. No girl... called, and guys only... sex," was heard over the tape's static.

"Did you ever call anyone else?" Tomoyo frowned as there was no reply. "Being friends is a two-way street. When I first met Sakura-chan, Rika-chan was her best friend. Had I not persisted in trying to get to know Sakura-chan then, we wouldn't have become the good friends we are now. Whenever Sakura-chan wanted to do something, I would go with her. If I found something that Sakura-chan would find fun, I immediately called her. If you don't try to be friends with someone, why would they try to be friends with you?"

"Like you... had to work... anything," the ghost snarled.

"I work more than you can imagine. I don't have a business mind, yet I am the heir of a business that I have no plans of letting anyone take from my family. Mathematics isn't my strong suit and I have to study hard to have the grade I do in that class," Tomoyo retorted.

"...You have everything..."

"I don't have Sakura-chan's... or my own father's love," Tomoyo admitted, fighting the urge to look away.

The ghost smirked. "...Not... different. You still... more. I... take what... left."

Reiko launched herself at Tomoyo and the girl flinched involuntarily. Beyond a cold breeze, there was nothing but the tape to prove the ghost had ever been there.

* * *

Meiling approached her English teacher before class and called out to him in the other native language of Hong Kong, "Teacher, I'd like a word with you."

"You've been practicing your English very well, I see," the teacher commented.

"Practicing it? I'm from Hong Kong. Of course I know English. We were only under British rule for over a century." Meiling folded her arms. "How is it that you know we speak Cantonese instead of Mandarin and yet don't know that?"

The teacher flushed in embarrassment. "Well, being under their rule doesn't mean learning their language."

"If you're going to do any business in Hong Kong, you had better know how to speak English." Meiling scowled darkly. "For your assignment I should be singing a song in Japanese as I still have issues with that language."

"Now Li Meiling..." the teacher trailed off as Meiling handed him a paper that held lyrics to a song.

"I'll sing that song." Meiling grinned and turned away from the teacher.

The teacher gazed at the lyrics and frowned. They were indeed all English, but this was worse that some of the other songs that had been used. He sighed as he entered the classroom. "We've still got half the class to go through, so let's get started. Yamazaki Chiharu, you're first today."

"I'm singing this song for my father," Chiharu announced before singing Within Temptation's 'Our Farewell.'

There was an unmistakable sadness to her voice that threatened to move the class to tears, even the students who didn't understand what the lyrics meant. For Sakura, tears did flow even with Reiko hovering off to the side of the class. Chiharu's song seemed to halt any plan the ghost had to mess with the class.

The next student up to sing was one of the baseball players, and his song was also a tribute, this time for Reiko. He sang Sugarcult's 'Pretty Girl,' which didn't move anyone to tears and it seemed to annoy the ghost who floated out of the room.

Asaba was next, and his song choice left Naoko wanting to do a 'Chiharu' on him. Those that understood what he was singing were laughing at him. She would've too if he wasn't her boyfriend. 'I'm Too Sexy' just did not fit him at all.

* * *

"I think Ichimai is up to something," Syaoran muttered while sitting in the school's music room.

Sakura poked his nose. "And I think we need to practice more. Tomorrow is the last day of singing. You know we're going to be called."

"I thought Daidouji was going to help us," Syaoran returned. "Why don't we hold off on practicing until she gets here and work on other things while we wait?"

"Syaoran-kun, you practice your martial arts even without a teacher. Singing isn't that hard," Sakura persisted.

"A beginner has to have a teacher in order to learn anything." Syaoran folded his arms. "Besides, I'm serious about Ichimai. She's been laying low ever since you cleaned up the school. There's got to be something she's planning. We should be ready for it."

Sakura pouted at him. "I know she's still out to get me, but I can't live in fear of her. When she tries something, we'll just have to be ready to act."

"Perhaps you should research how to save a spirit," Tomoyo suggested, announcing her arrival. "Ichimai is hardly the first ghost to ever exist. You may find a means of sending her on."

Sakura frowned at her best friend. "I wish The Light would work the way I wanted. Unfortunately she would more likely destroy Reiko-chan's spirit rather than save it."

Tomoyo nodded. "That's certainly a last resort. However, Shinto, Buddhist and Christian priests have been called to deal with spirits before. You could find out how they deal with such things."

"I guess," Sakura muttered.

"I'll help you," Syaoran pledged.

"Not until we're done practicing, Li-kun." Tomoyo pulled out a metronome and set it for the base beat of 'Somewhere Out There.' "Now, you remember the drill, right?"

Syaoran sighed. With each tick of the music time piece, he performed a martial arts move and uttered 'Da.'

"I still don't get why you have him doing this," Sakura whispered.

Tomoyo smiled brightly. "Singing in tune is all about timing. Li-kun has it in his martial arts, but not in his voice. By combining both, it will train him to keep to beat with the words he sings."

Sakura shrugged and watched her boyfriend move through his forms. Watching him perform martial arts always sent a thrill down her spine, especially with the way his school pants clung to his tight ass.

* * *

It was really like a plane crashing into a fireball. Syaoran wanted to look away, but he couldn't. It was Meiling's turn at singing for the class. She wasn't bad. In fact she was probably second only to Daidouji. It was the song that made him want to run away. At one time she would've sang this exclusively for him, and that knowledge was what set him on edge. The fact that most of the boys in class were drooling at her didn't help matters, but she was asking for that response.

Meiling accentuated her growing curves as she sang the song, 'Oh, me so horny!'

At least Syaoran wasn't the only one having issues with the song. The teacher seemed to be ready to pound his head against his desk. He held no sympathy, considering the trouble the teacher gave Meiling over choosing a song. Had the teacher let her go with her first choice, they wouldn't be in this mess now.

Thankfully the song came to an end, but Syaoran doubted this would be the last he heard of this. The boys in his class were bound to ask him about his relationship to his cousin and ex-fiance. They were likely to think that he had done things with her, especially considering that they now lived alone in the same apartment. Course he only had intentions of doing that sort of stuff with Sakura, but they would still ask.

The next girl called was the third student to sing a Michael Jackson song, however she held the worst choice. 'Billy Jean is Not My Lover,' hardly fit her both in singing voice and in meaning.

Rika's song followed, and her song was by far more accurate with 'Time After Time,' even if he didn't know who the girl's beloved was.

Syaoran swallowed nervously as he was called up with Sakura to sing their duet. Normally the guy would lead, but Sakura began the solo part.

The song was actually flowing well, and he sang better than expected. Unfortunately, Reiko decided to make an appearance. He barely noticed the spectral hands at Sakura's waist, and quickly shifted behind his girlfriend while knocking the ghost aside with his hip.

Reiko was undeterred and made a lunge for Sakura's skirt, but a swing of his hand made to look like part of the song sent the ghost flying into a desk, startling the student sitting at it.

Reiko's antics did not escape Sakura's attention. She brought Syaoran's arms around her into a loose hug with his hands at the hem of her skirt. With that option out of the way, the ghost went to grab Sakura's blouse. Syaoran's view was blocked by his girlfriend's body and he kept protecting her skirt.

Sakura slapped Reiko with enough force the class heard it over the music, though most of them took it as being a glitch in the music.

Being hit like that stunned the ghost, who held her cheek as she floated out of the classroom.

* * *

"You SLAPPED Ichimai?" Meiling questioned disbelievingly as she walked Sakura home with her cousin.

"What was I supposed to do? She was going to flash me in front of the whole class!" Sakura whined. "I had to do something!"

Meiling let out an evil laugh as she turned toward her cousin. "You should've let Ichimai succeed."

Syaoran's blush intensified. "No way. That's only for me to see." He then blinked. "Er... ah... That is..."

Sakura's head looked like a ripe cherry, but she couldn't say anything. She managed a shallow nod, which made Meiling laugh harder.

After Meiling's amusement ended, she decided to change topics. "I didn't know that anyone could sing worse than Syaoran."

Sakura nodded and then seized up, realizing she just insulted her boyfriend. "Ah, Syaoran-kun isn't that bad. He just didn't know how to sing. Tomoyo-chan helped him a lot."

"He still won't win any singing contests, even with help," Meiling pressed. "At least he won't win any 'worst singer awards' now."

"Meiling..." Syaoran growled.

His cousin shrugged. "And what are we going to do about Ichimai? I doubt she's given up on embarrassing Kinomoto to death."

Sakura pouted. "I guess... hoping she just goes away won't help."

"If she did suddenly disappear, it would be because her soul had been pulled into hell," Syaoran said in a tone that indicated he wouldn't be upset if it happened.

Sakura frowned. "I know. Perhaps it's time we get serious about her. Find out how to save a spirit and send her to heaven."

"Good luck. She seems literally hell bent on hurting you," Meiling noted.

Sakura was rather thankful when they made it to her house, though she was reluctant to let Syaoran leave for his home. Unfortunately, they both had stuff to do.

Trudging up to her room, she quickly changed her clothes into more comfortable loose T-shirt and shorts before sitting down at her desk and turning on her computer. She still wanted to know who had sent her this one on her last birthday. Her father, Tomoyo, and Tomoyo's mother all denied giving it to her. She had been rather happy with the hand-me-down computer she had gotten before from Tomoyo, despite the fact the one she had now was a rather high-end personal computer.

With her thoughts still on Reiko, Sakura began to search the Internet for how to deal with ghosts. What she found in over an hour of searching were sites with either obviously bogus information or described how to destroy spirits. She wanted to save Reiko, not obliterate her.

With a frustrated sigh, she gave up that search. Then she thought about something she had wanted to check out, but kept forgetting to look into it. She searched for the song, 'White Wedding.' Managing to find a mp3 of it, she played the song while reading over the lyrics. It was a nice beat, but the full meaning eluded her. What did they mean by 'shotgun?' A search for 'shotgun' by itself certainly didn't help with thousand of pages on the firearm. She then searched 'shotgun wedding.'

Sakura stared at what Americans meant by that statement. A shotgun wedding is a marriage forced by the bride already being pregnant. Her brother had sung that in high school while thinking of her. Her brother had always seemed to dislike Syaoran for reasons he would not name. Her brother had enough magic he could see things. Did he see...?

"HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE??"

* * *

Author's Notes:

Coming Next - Chapter 15: Sakura's Ghostly Problems Sakura searches for a means to save Reiko's spirit.

EVP - Electronic Voice Phenomenon: the appearance of understandable words on recording medium when there is no physical source, which many believe to be from people who have died. EVP is something that occurs in real life, recorded by perfectly normal people.

Tomoyo's encounters with Reiko's ghost has all been done through a secondary medium that normal people have said to have seen ghosts in. As such, this chapter reiterates a point repeatedly brought up in the original series: Tomoyo has no magical ability.

* * *

Sakura slumped at her desk and waited for her computer to boot up. Each time seemed to take longer and longer. She wondered what video games Kero-chan had loaded on it to make it lag so much.

Once it was loaded, she checked the hard drive space and found it nearly used up. Sakura scowled angrily and went into Kero-chan's files to see what she could remove to free up space on HER computer. Finding large video files, she clicked one to find out what Kero-chan was clogging the hard drive with.

Sakura blinked at the science show that was being played. Since when was Kero interested in animal life? She then blinked as the show started to talk about mountain lions... and how they mated. She stared as the bland narrator explained mating while two lions were doing just that. Why would Kero-chan have such things... he was... he was...

THIS WAS PORN TO KERO-CHAN?!


	15. Sakura's Ghostly Problems

"Mind if I record this

"Mind if I record this?" Tomoyo asked politely.

"You may, though I don't think this will make any of your highlights," replied Mrs. Mizuki, a woman who looked much like her daughter, Kaho, save that her hair was starting to turn gray.

Sakura fidgeted as she knelt before her one-time homeroom and mathematics teacher's father. He did not look much like his daughter with a strong, chiseled face and deep black hair, but it was obvious that her teacher had inherited her moon magic from him. "Sir, I would like to know what you can tell me about ghosts."

The Shinto priest chuckled. "Straight to the point, huh? And here I thought we could reminisce about my daughter."

Sakura blushed, her hands playing with the sleeves of the kimono Tomoyo had made for her. This so-called 'battle costume' was designed with cherry blossoms and stars. "I didn't mean... We could talk about Mizuki-sensei... I haven't gotten a letter from her recently..."

The Shinto priest smiled. "We can get to pleasure after the business at hand. You wish to know how to deal with a troublesome ghost. I've had requests to purify your school."

Sakura blinked, a little surprised that he already knew why she had come to see him. "Could you?"

"My dear, while that would take care of the haunting, it may not be the best solution. As a priest, I have the power to give ghosts a push to go into the afterlife." Kaho's father sighed. "The problem is that it is a push. If she was just stuck here, she would go where she belongs. However, if the ghost is standing on the brink to hell..."

"She doesn't deserve that!" Sakura cried out.

"No child does," the priest agreed. "Yet therein lies the problem. The ghost must willingly walk away from her anger and hate to properly move on."

"How can we get her to do that?" Sakura pleaded.

"That is a question you must find an answer for by yourself," the priest advised.

* * *

Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon

Chapter 15: Sakura's Ghostly Problems

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

By: Lord Archive

Author's Warnings:  
This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.  
This series contains:  
Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Meiling whistled to herself as she opened the door to her apartment. She finally found a promising dojo that might be able to teach her something new. Not to mention a couple of the guys who could be potential boyfriends.

There was something amiss as she walked into her home, a nervous edge that seemed utterly out of place. A movement caught Meiling's attention as she saw a girl's hand reaching for a blouse and bra, neither of which were hers, lying on the floor.

Meiling scowled out of jealousy. "Sorry, Kinomoto. Thought you were working on the ghost problem. Didn't know you were busy with Syaoran." She then let out a laugh at the girl's squeak of surprise. "Next time do that stuff in his bedroom."

"Wasn't like we planned on... this." Syaoran sat up, adjusting his shirt.

"You don't have to hide from me, Kinomoto. You've got nothing I haven't seen," Meiling reminded.

Sakura still didn't appear, but her embarrassment now hung in the air.

"Syaoran didn't force you, did he?" Meiling groused.

"NO!" Sakura squeaked out.

"Then there's nothing to be embarrassed about!" Meiling shot at her.

"But... But my chest is all wet!" Sakura protested.

Meiling smirked evilly. "Syaoran, you dog. Slobbering all over your girlfriend. Literally!"

Syaoran scowled at his cousin as he went to get some paper-towels for Sakura.

"Wet one of them, please," Sakura requested.

"Yes. Yes," Syaoran muttered.

Meiling peered over the couch, seeing Sakura attempting to hide her half-dressed state. "Just the chest or did he get anywhere below the waist?" She paused a second. "Did YOU go below the waist?"

Sakura stared up in surprise at the girl. "Hoooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

* * *

"Sakura-chan, why didn't you tell me you went beyond kissing with Li-kun?!" Tomoyo asked in a hurt tone, after dragging the girl to a secluded part of the schoolyard during lunch.

Sakura pouted at her friend. "That's not something I want to talk about."

"Why not?" Tomoyo demanded. "Is it because of what Satome did?"

Sakura shook her head fiercely. "No! That's not it at all!" She sighed. "Tomoyo-chan... there are just some things that I want to keep private. Just between Syaoran-kun and me."

"Of course you do." Tomoyo grabbed her best friend's right hand. "But that doesn't mean you can't tell me what it's like to be pleasured."

Sakura looked down. "Yes, it does. You don't really want me to call you up and say I kissed Syaoran-kun for the ninety-seventh time, do you?"

"You've kissed him that many times?" Tomoyo seemed to honestly ask with interest.

"Tomoyo-chan?!" Sakura cried out.

Tomoyo smirked. "Now, Sakura-chan, you know all I want for you to be happy. I just want to know what makes you happy." She then leaned in and whispered. "And I'm really curious about what it's like. I haven't even been kissed, you know, and well... I'd like to know what I'm missing."

"Not as much as I'd like." Sakura blushed at her words.

Tomoyo blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Ah... well... it felt good, but ah... not as great as Chiharu-chan made it sound," Sakura flustered her reply.

Tomoyo held Sakura's hand tighter. "Promise me that when you first make love, you'll call me immediately!"

"Hoe?!" Sakura shook her head to calm herself. "Tomoyo-chan... I don't think I'm ready for that yet. And, well... when I do... maybe not immediately, but I will tell you."

Tomoyo giggled and brought the girl into a hug. "That's a promise."

* * *

As much as Sakura had told Tomoyo that Satome molesting her wasn't an issue, it was. There had been more nervousness than she thought there should be. And when Syaoran touched her bare chest with his hand, part of her wanted to scream. She had been able to bury the unease and discomfort and share a bit of the joy and wonder Syaoran's eyes had shown. What she had done with him was a display of their love, and she desperately wished that Satome had never tainted it.

Sakura shook her head and gazed up at the Church where the funerals of Reiko and Mr. Mihara had taken place. She wished she knew more about her baptized faith and wondered if what she did with Syaoran was a sin. The Catholic religion did seem to have a few odd beliefs regarding sex.

Sakura frowned as she looked around the empty Church, wondering how she could see the priest she had met before. She was thankful that Tomoyo had other business to take care of. As much as she loved her best friend, the constant filming of her actions and the desire to know everything about her was a bit too much at times.

"Can I help you?"

Sakura jumped at the voice. She turned around and bowed. "Hello, Father Morisato... I, ah, have some questions."

The priest smiled at her. "Of course. Please sit down."

Sakura sat down at the edge of one pew, while the priest sat across the isle from her. She fidgeted nervously. "I... ah, wonder what the Church's views are about ghosts?"

"Ghosts?" Father Morisato held a surprised expression. "Well, there are times when souls do seem to linger after they should have passed."

Sakura nodded. "There's a ghost at my school I need help with."

"Well, I'm not trained as an exorcist, so I would not be able to banish a spirit," Father Morisato told her gently.

"What happens to a spirit that's been banished?" Sakura asked with dread.

"The spirit is forced into the afterlife," Father Morisato answered simply.

"Would it be like a Shinto priest? A push? Where if the spirit is on the path to hell, that's where she would go?" Sakura asked desperately.

Father Morisato frowned. "I don't know much about exorcisms, but I think that might be an accurate statement."

Sakura's head dropped. "I want to save her. It's my fault she died. She has a right to be angry at me, but I don't want to destroy her soul or send her to hell. I want to save her this time."

"Ah, you believe the ghost to be Ichimai Reiko, don't you?" Father Morisato guessed.

Sakura nodded.

"I don't know if I have any answers for you." Father Morisato sighed. "We can pray for her to find her way from anger and learn forgiveness."

"I doubt that will happen so easily. It is my fault she died and wants me to suffer," Sakura replied sadly.

"Trust in God to help you," Father Morisato advised. "You are never alone and He may open the path to both save Ichimai's soul and for you to forgive yourself."

* * *

Tomoyo walked through the main offices of her mother's corporation. From here, the decisions for Daidouji Toys, as well as numerous other businesses that the Amamiya and Daidouji clans held in interest, were made. There was a strange hush that fell over the room that had nothing to do with her presence.

From one of the conference rooms emerged a young man barely older than she was, though he was much taller. She recognized him as the president and owner of a rival company despite his young age. His stylized white trench coat called importance to him, especially offset by the black suits of his large, burly, male bodyguards. As he stomped past her, he eyed her with nothing but contempt.

Tomoyo frowned back at him. If she was to marry for economic gain, that boy would likely top the list. Not a happy concept as her first impression of him was that he held a similar slant to sexual preference as she did: their own gender. Considering her mother's lack of feeling for her own father, she hoped to not repeat history with her husband running off with a guy.

Sonomi's eyes brightened upon seeing her daughter, but in front of her employees she did not issue her normal exuberant greeting. "We have much to discuss, Daughter."

Tomoyo nodded. Image was everything. And maintaining the air of authority was important in business. The hint of weakness and others will take advantage of it. When they were far enough away from prying ears, she asked, "He wasn't here for a marriage interview, was he?"

"Hardly," Sonomi spat. "I would sooner see this company fall to ruin before I'd let you marry that pompous ass. I doubt you're his type. He's too obsessed with his games and some boy to be good for you."

"I had much the same opinion." Tomoyo eyed her mother carefully. "And how do you know he's obsessed with a boy?"

"When I was supposed to die, he topped the list of marriage candidates." Sonomi smirked ruefully. "Now, there's no one worthy of you."

Tomoyo giggled a little. "Why am I here?"

Sonomi opened a door to her office and Tomoyo barely caught sight of a man standing in a shadow. Her heart sped up at the sight of the black clad intruder, wondering if he was here to assassinate her to get at Sakura.

"Kurogane-san?" Sonomi called out.

The man stepped forward. "That girl is the first to see me."

Sonomi nodded. "Good. We do not want undo attention brought to this."

Tomoyo calmed herself. He was here under her mother's employ. She had a guess as to why he was here, particularly since she was here to meet him. She eyed him closely, taking in his air of dark mystery. The sword strapped to his back did not escape her notice.

"Now, Tomoyo, I would like you to tell him everything you know about Sakura-chan's attacker," Sonomi told her firmly.

For a second, Tomoyo debated sending this man after Satome, though she was sure that would be a waste of the man's skill. However, as much as Satome threatened their virtue, Sakura's true enemy was far more important. "I'm afraid I don't know who he is. I do not even have a specific suspect in mind. And I'm not sure if there is only one person."

Kurogane growled. "Tell me what you do know."

"Sakura-chan is practically engaged to Li Syaoran. The attacks against her seem to avoid putting him and his cousin, Li Meiling, in danger. Only three attacks have occurred with them around. The first of which, using a dragon golem, was likely as much a surprise to her attacker as it was for us as we didn't know he was returning to Tomoeda. The second attack promised to leave two of us unhurt. The third was an ambush in which Li-kun was unable to immediately defend Sakura-chan and Meiling-chan was in no position to help against a giant flying bird. When Sakura-chan had fallen ill and was unable to defend herself, she stayed with Li-kun. No attacks occurred then," Tomoyo told him, noting he held no reaction to her statements that inferred magic.

"So, the one behind this may be against the girl getting close to this Li Syaoran," Kurogane surmised.

"That would be my guess as well. I asked Li-kun if he knew who it might be, but all he would say was that the one his mother suspects has gone missing. He would not answer me if that person was related to the Li clan," Tomoyo added.

"What can you tell me about the attacks," Kurogane demanded.

"Each attack seems to be different. No two have been outwardly the same. However, they do share some similarities. Most of the attacks were made to look accidental, as if they were some tragedy that just happened. The more recent attacks have been more direct, but still offers no clue to the one behind it." Tomoyo pouted. "Save, maybe, one. Years ago, when Sakura-chan was training in her magic, she faced a test which had a piano chasing my voice. A few months ago, a car did the same to Sakura-chan. The mage behind the piano was Hiiragizawa Eriol. He is the reincarnation of Clow Reed, who is of direct relation to the Li clan, so I can not be sure if the spell used belongs to the clan or if Hiiragizawa was announcing he was involved. I have sent a letter to him asking about it, but his reply denied any involvement. That he lives in England and the letter seemed to be properly received would look to discount him as a suspect. However, he is one of the most powerful sorcerers alive and could easily intercept the letter and make it look like he's in England and yet be in Tomoeda."

Kurogane nodded. "Still, it's something to look into. Any more information?"

Tomoyo pouted. "I wish mother had warned me more about what she wanted me to talk about. I have videos of some of the battles." She then looked away from the man for the first time. "I can not be sure that my suspicions are correct. As Li-kun pointed out when I confronted him about my evidence: the one behind this may be testing Sakura-chan for some greater mission or could be out to get her magic for themselves."

"Gut feelings are often the more correct ones," Kurogane stated firmly. "What does your gut tell you?"

"That the person or persons behind this want Sakura-chan away from her beloved and is of relation to the Li clan..." Tomoyo closed her eyes. "Particularly Meiling-chan's side of the family. At one time she was engaged to Li-kun. Though I can not and would not discount Hiiragizawa having a hand in this."

Kurogane nodded. "I would like to see some of these videos to learn more about this enemy."

Though Tomoyo likely knew the answer, she still asked the question, "What will you do if you find the one behind the attacks on Sakura-chan?"

Kurogane smirked evilly while tapping the sword strapped to his back. "I will make sure the attacks end. Permanently."

Tomoyo nodded reluctantly. Part of her hoped that Hiiragizawa had no part in this, but if he was involved in trying to kill Sakura-chan, she would spit on his gravestone.

* * *

"I think I liked it better when Ichimai was resorting to petty pranks," Naoko commented. She had bumped into Sakura, literally, after her friend left the Church. She presented another option for gaining information on their ghost problem.

Sakura looked as if she was trying to hug herself. "I can't believe she spoiled all that food, making so many people sick."

"I'm quite glad that I'm not on any cleaning duty this week. Some of the girls couldn't wait for the toilet and used the sink!" Naoko shuddered.

"From what Syaoran-kun said about the boy's bathroom, it was even worse. I'll have to use Bubbles to clean it." Sakura shuddered in disgust.

Naoko grinned. "At least school has been canceled for tomorrow while everyone who ate the cafeteria food recovers."

Sakura sighed as they arrived at their destination. She wouldn't have considered this option. Not because she didn't believe in it, but because she could attempt it herself.

"Ah, come in! Come in! Let Madam Bara find you the answers you seek!" a woman in gaudy multicolor robes announced with a strange accent.

Sakura pouted at the woman, her slim hope diminishing with the lack of magic in the air. She sat down across from the woman, not expecting anything.

The woman waved her hands over a crystal ball. "You are here in a quest for love!"

"No, I have a boyfriend," Sakura replied.

"Ah, but you want to know if he's the one," Madam Bara returned.

Sakura shook her head. "I'm pretty sure he is. I have different problems. None of which relate to my love for Syaoran-kun."

"That would be my question for Shinji-kun," Naoko commented with a grin.

"Ah, she seems to be interfering in the reading. Trouble with school then?" Madam Bara asked.

Sakura sighed. "No, with someone out to kill me and the ghost of a girl I let die."

Naoko leaned in closer to not miss the psychic's reply.

Madam Bara stared at the girl. "Very funny, Dear. If you are not serious about a reading, I can't help you."

"The future can be seen, but it doesn't work this way. You are a fake." Sakura gazed deeply at the woman, the Dream lending her power in shared annoyance at the fraud psychic. "You remember Higashi-san? You've made too many mistakes with him. He could be your number one person, but you've pushed him away. You have but one more chance, or you will lose him. And I'm sorry about your mother."

Madam Bara blinked. "What do you mean about my Mother?"

Sakura closed her eyes as tears rolled out. "I'm sorry. But from her shall come your last chance with Higashi."

Sakura left while Naoko followed, trying not to laugh at the psychic being the one to get a look into her own future.

* * *

Touya walked into the archaeology department and saw a young woman with dark shoulder length hair riffling through a stack of papers. Her nervousness seemed out of place, but the result was expected. Her schoolwork cascaded from her like a waterfall of paper. He shook his head and stooped down to help pick them up.

"Oh, hi! Sorry, I'm such a klutz at times," the woman giggled sheepishly.

Touya frowned as he gazed into her sky blue eyes and put a block on what little feedback he gave Sakura from his powers. There was something about Togashi Hinami, as listed on her schoolwork, that rubbed him wrong. The same sort of 'wrong' he felt when he first met Li Syaoran.

"What brings you to the archaeology department?" Hanami asked. "Interested in majoring in it?"

"Nah. I'm more social services," Touya replied with cold indifference. "My Dad works here."

"Oh? Are you old Mitsutani's son?" Hanami eyed him carefully. "Though I'd think he'd have grandchildren by now."

"Ah, Touya-kun, what brings you here?" Fujitaka asked as he entered the department lobby.

"Just thought I should warn you that Sakura-chan is working on one of her projects and probably will forget it's her turn to cook," Touya told him.

Fujitaka nodded. "That's not much of a problem. I'll give her a call and let her know I'll grab dinner here."

"One more thing, Dad..." Touya eyed the now shocked Hanami. "Don't tell Sakura-chan about her yet. I don't think she'd understand."

Fujitaka blinked. "Touya-kun..."

"There's a reason she stopped taking your classes, and you know why," Touya returned before stomping off.

Fujitaka rubbed his forehead, wondering why life decided to be more complicated than it needed to be.

"DAD?!" Hanami cried out. "I thought... he's the same age... How old are you?!"

Fujitaka shook his head. "Perhaps we should have a talk over dinner?"

"Sure!" Hanami blushed deeply. "I... ah... mean."

Fujitaka smirked. "As Touya-kun pointed out, you're not MY student."

Hanami nodded. "Right... Um... how did he know...?"

"I think I'll save that question for another time," Fujitaka told her.

* * *

"What is it?" Kurogane almost growled out as he sat in the Daidouji home watching videos.

"Oh, nothing." Tomoyo shifted nervously. "This is the first time someone I don't know has seen these. I'm a bit worried about how good they are."

Kurogane shrugged. "I've seen worse at the movies."

Tomoyo smiled. "Thank you!"

Kurogane snorted. "These really don't help at all. Only the assassin offered any insight. And you are right in that while the one after your friend doesn't seem to care who gets hurt, with the exception of the golem, Li and his cousin are not in any direct danger at any time."

Tomoyo looked away. "You've been in a position of fighting to the death, haven't you?"

Kurogane grinned evilly. "Those are the best fights."

Tomoyo pouted at him. A mix of words dying on her tongue. She finally settled on her original question. "Are these attacks on Sakura-chan truly meant to kill her or merely think it's deadly?"

Kurogane thought about it as he watched a shaking camera image run across a field until it reached Sakura's and Syaoran's comatose bodies, with the latter severely aged from excessive magic usage. "There are two ways to view these attacks. Either the enemy is out to kill her and underestimates the girl and her friends, or her opponent knows her limits extremely well and is pushing her to advance."

"The latter would suggest Hiiragizawa," Tomoyo pointed out. "Which do you believe?"

"The car that attacked the girl reeks of frustration and did nothing to advance her. And the assassin was a wild card, someone that could not be fully controlled." Kurogane gave a cold, hard look. "Your friend has been targeted for death."

Tomoyo sighed. "If you are right in that Sakura-chan is being underestimated, it can not be Hiiragizawa-kun. He knows her magic, as he has the memories of the man who created her cards."

"Are these all the attacks on her?" Kurogane questioned.

"The ones we are sure that were caused by her attacker. I do have other instances that might be an accident or it could've been an attack," Tomoyo answered.

Kurogane groaned a little. "Let's see those."

Tomoyo jumped up and pranced to her video wall. She stifled a giggle, noticing that his eyes had followed her in a manner that held no hostility. For her first 'date' with a guy, it was hardly a bad experience. Still, she would much prefer a girl as her date, especially if she was Sakura... or maybe Meiling.

* * *

Hanami rushed into her apartment, hearing her phone ringing. She kicked her shoes off before picking the receiver up and answering, "Hello, Togashi residence."

"Where have you been?!" a stern voice barked over the phone.

Hanami tossed her purse onto her couch, it landed on a pile of papers and a blouse. "I'm sorry, Mother. I lost track of time at dinner."

"Oh, was it a date?" Mrs. Togashi asked cautiously.

"Well... yeah, it was kind of a date," Hanami replied uncertainly, nervously sorting through the past week of mail.

"Really? Who is he?" Mrs. Togashi chirped.

Hanami bit her lip. "Er... He's a teacher."

"A teacher?" Mrs. Togashi squeaked in surprise. "Isn't he old enough-"

Hanami interrupted. "Yes, I know he's old enough to be my father." She scowled darkly. "That was made painfully clear. He has a son who's apparently a few months older than me."

"If he has a son your age, you should go after him," Mrs. Togashi advised.

"No, I'm not going to go after his son." Hanami growled. "You don't know Kinomoto-sensei, Mom. He's kind, sweet, handsome, and lonely. His wife died over ten years ago, his son has already moved out of the house and his daughter won't be around much longer either. He needs somebody and I want to be that person."

"Hanami...," Mrs. Togashi let out a sigh over phone. "I guess you'd have an easier time with your dream job with him."

Hanami laughed as she tossed a few advertisements at the overflowing trashcan. "Well, that is sort of an added perk. With him I would have a better chance working on archaeology digs."

"Still, Dear... be careful. An older man, especially one with children, may have issues you aren't ready for," Mrs. Togashi warned.

"Yes, Mom," Hanami groaned. "Good night. I'll talk to you later. I need to study. I love you," Hanami said before hanging up without waiting for a reply.

Hanami walked over to her chair, picked up and threw the skirt and bra on it onto the couch. She then plopped into the chair. Despite what she said to her mother, she wasn't entirely certain what she should make of her dinner with her one-time teacher. They had talked a lot, though he had more to say. She could see his loneliness as he talked about his departed wife. However, that was also the problem. After more than ten years, he was still in love with his dead wife. How could she hope to face that? Did she really want to work at getting him to put his past aside and look to her for his future?

* * *

Sakura tried to shake her anxiety as she walked into Penguin Park. The last time she was alone here Satome had tried to rape her. The fact she had faced an assassin with her friends watching didn't help matters. It left her more on guard than she would normally have been. This place had been almost a second home, even during her trials with the cards. Now it was tainted and no longer a safe haven to her. Why did she have to insist on meeting Tomoyo here rather than her house or the school?

Sakura shook her head. She should be thinking of how to deal with Reiko. If someone did attack her, her cards would come to her defense. But the problem with Reiko wasn't a simple one. Everyone who knew anything about ghosts warned that trying to force Reiko into the afterlife would either condemn her to hell or destroy her spirit utterly. Neither was an option she wanted to consider.

Using her own powers, Sakura tried to divine a solution. Using the Dream to take a nap and see the future, had left her even more confused. She had seen a dark dragon looming overhead. From its claws came puppetry threads that were connected to a dream version of herself who danced before a grave marker, calling a bunch of guys to her and then kissing them.

Sakura knew of her weakness to mind-control magic, having her body controlled by Yue during his judgement and by Madoushi, the water sorceress who had sought Clow Reed for centuries. It would not be impossible for her foe to do the same, but what would be gained by insulting the dead and kissing guys?

"Neechan!"

Sakura blinked and looked down at a boy. "Isn't it late for you to be out?"

"I can't find my Mommy!" the boy replied.

"Then we'll find her," Sakura promised. "Where did you last see her?"

"Niichan was getting inta a fight by the slide. Mommy went to stop it. I thought I'd hide from her, but when I got bored 'n came back no one was here!" the boy whined.

Sakura closed her eyes, letting her senses wash over the park to see if she could hear anyone. There were no voices to be heard. She frowned, wondering how he could be left behind.

"Sorry, I'm late!" Tomoyo cried out.

"Hi, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura returned looking around.

"Sakura-chan, do you have my hairbrush? Last I had it when I was brushing your hair at lunch," Tomoyo questioned.

Sakura shook her head. "Sorry, I don't have it. Have you seen anyone on your way here?"

"I haven't," Tomoyo replied.

Sakura looked down. "Do you think your mother went looking for you? Where did you hide?"

Tomoyo blinked in confusion. "I'm not hiding, and why would Mother look for me?"

"Sorry, I was asking him that," Sakura mentioned, still distracted.

The boy glared at the girl. "Yeah! She's talking to me!"

Sakura knelt down. "Can you show me where you were hiding?"

"That way!" The boy pointed toward the forest.

Tomoyo fished out her camera and turned it on. "Sakura-chan... who are you talking to?"

"I'm Touji!" the boy replied.

"He's lost his mother," Sakura added.

Tomoyo shook her head, staring morbidly at the image her camera was showing of a floating white dot in front of her friend. "Sakura-chan... what's his name?"

"I told you!" Touji shouted.

Sakura looked confused. "He just said his name is Touji-kun."

Tomoyo's arms dropped. "Sakura-chan... could you come here for a second, please? I need to tell you something privately."

Sakura sighed as she walked over to her friend. "What is it?"

"Do you remember the cliff you fell off of?" Tomoyo whispered.

Sakura looked confused. "Which one?"

Tomoyo was half-tempted to laugh at the reply. "The one your brother also fell from."

"Oh, right. What about it?" Sakura asked.

Tomoyo looked sadly at the girl. "While you were in a coma, Myujin Touji went missing... They found his body after a day of searching at the bottom of the cliff."

Sakura's eyes went wide. "You mean he's...?"

Tomoyo nodded.

"What are we going to do? He wants to see his mother, but he's..." Sakura sagged.

"Are we going to find Mommy or what?" the boy demanded.

Sakura turned around. "What do I say to him? He doesn't know."

Tomoyo paused in thought. "I think that may be half the problem. Still, he wants to see his mother. I will see if I can bring her here."

"You do that." Sakura sighed sadly. "I'll... talk to him."

Tomoyo nodded and ran off.

Sakura walked over to the boy. "Tomoyo-chan has gone to your house to see if your mother had to take your brother there."

"'Kay." The boy grinned at her.

Sakura fretted over what to say to the boy. She tried to think of some way to convince him that he was dead. She put her hand on his shoulder and was a little surprised to feel cold flesh. She should've been able to put her hand through him, but she couldn't. Well, if she couldn't pass through him, then she would need something else that could.

"Want to play catch while we wait here for your Mother?" Sakura suggested.

"Sure!" Touji cheered.

Sakura walked a few feet away and found a small, smooth rock on the ground. She picked it up and tossed in underhand to him. "Catch!"

Touji reached out for it, but the rock sailed through his hands and his stomach without slowing down. He turned around and stared in shock. "How'd that happen?"

"Do you remember where you had run off to?" Sakura asked him.

The boy nodded. "Inta the trees."

"Did you see the cliff?" Sakura asked.

The boy's eyes went wide and wobbled. "I... I was falling." He then shook his head. "That was a dream."

"It wasn't a dream," Sakura told him. "You fell from it."

"It was a nightmare! It didn't happen! Mommy would never leave me when I was hurt! It didn't happen!" Touji cried out.

Sakura stumbled toward him. It hadn't been quick for him. How long did he lay there before he...? She fell to her knees and hugged him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"You can touch me. You can't touch ghosts!" the boy continued his protest.

"I can, Touji-kun. Tomoyo-chan never heard or saw you," Sakura told him.

"Liar!" Touji howled. "I called for Mommy! She didn't come! Why isn't Mommy here?! MOMMY!!"

"Oh, my..." Tomoyo gasped.

"Touji..." a woman whispered.

"Mommy!" Touji pulled away from Sakura embrace and disappeared from all but Sakura's eyes.

"Where did he go?" Mrs. Myujin asked.

"I'm right here, Mommy!" Touji ran to the woman but passed right through her, tripping and falling to the ground. "Mommy?"

Sakura wanted to break down crying for the boy, but now wasn't the time. Touji and his mother needed her.

"Mommy!" Touji cried out, trying to touch her.

Sakura wobbled as she walked over to the boy and place her hand on him, this time knowingly imparting a touch of her magic into him.

"Touji..." Mrs. Myujin whispered again. "How?"

"You could say I'm a bit of a psychic," Sakura told the woman.

Mrs. Myujin nodded dumbly, tears welling up in her eyes. She went to touch her son, but only felt cold air.

Touji looked in horror as his mother recoiled from him. "I... I really died... Why didn't you come for me, Mommy? I cried out for you! It hurt! It hurt so bad. The blood... Why didn't you come for me?!"

"I'm sorry! I looked for you! I didn't stop until they found you." Tears streamed down Mrs. Myujin's face. "When you disappeared, I thought someone took you. I didn't think... Why did you go into the forest? You know you weren't supposed to go there! The cliff... that damned cliff."

Touji looked down. "I... I'm sorry. You were with niichan. Always with niichan. I wanted you to worry. I wanted to know you cared."

Mrs. Myujin collapsed to her knees. "I love you, Touji. I will always love you. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. Can you ever forgive me?"

"If... If you can forgive me," Touji replied.

Mrs. Myujin smiled a little at their personal joke. "I forgive you."

"I love you, Mommy." A flash of light and Touji was gone.

"Touji?" Mrs. Myujin called out.

"He's gone to heaven," Sakura told her. "He's where he should be."

Mrs. Myujin stood up unsteadily and wiped away her tears. "Thank you... Thank you for letting me say good-bye to him."

Sakura bowed. "I'm sorry I couldn't have done more."

"You've done more than I can ever repay you for." Mrs. Myujin touched Sakura's cheek to wipe away the girl's tears. "You even cried for my son. Thank you." She then walked away, with more color to her face than she had when she arrived.

Tomoyo smiled knowingly at her friend.

"What?" Sakura asked.

"You just saw and helped a ghost, and you weren't afraid at all," Tomoyo pointed out.

Sakura blinked. "I... I did, didn't I?"

Tomoyo nodded. "And doesn't this give you an idea of what to do about Ichimai?"

Sakura thought about that for a second. "Maybe, but I don't think I can get Reiko-chan to forgive me."

* * *

Fujitaka traced his finger over a picture of Nadeshiko. What had he been thinking asking a girl out on a date, telling her more about himself than he had told anyone else? He had a wife who he loved beyond measure. If anyone offered him a means to bring her back, he would take it without hesitation.

The teacher sighed. Hinami was a bright girl and certainly pretty in her own ways, but she was no model. Her clumsiness had reminded him of Nadeshiko, but that was where the similarities began and ended. When he talked of archaeological finds, Hinami listened intently while Nadeshiko would just stare blankly and nod. Nadeshiko believed in everything being clean and organized, Hinami often lost her schoolwork.

What had he been thinking? That Touya had practically told him they would be a couple. But was he ready to date again?

The front door opening shook Fujitaka from his thoughts. "Sakura?" He glanced at the time. It was after three in the morning. He didn't even know she wasn't in her bed sleeping.

"I'm home..." Sakura trailed off her greeting. She tentatively peeked into the dining room to see her father sitting at the table. "Sorry I'm so late... I was cleaning up the school after Reiko-chan's last prank. And school is canceled tomorrow, so I can sleep in."

Fujitaka smiled at his daughter, seeing the young woman she was becoming. He was sure she was telling him the truth, as his daughter likely knew she would not get in any trouble with him if she had stayed at her boyfriend's place. He shook his head wondering when his little girl had gotten so big. While he busied himself at the University was his only answer.

"Dad, is..." Sakura's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. She bolted across the room and seemed to hug the air. With the way her body was leaning, she should have fallen on her face. "Mother..."

Fujitaka stood up. "Nadeshiko?"

"Sakura, there will be a time for me to talk to you..." Nadeshiko trailed off.

"Dad needs you now," Sakura finished.

Nadeshiko smiled. "Yes, Dear. I love you."

"I... I love you too, Mom." Sakura glowed softly, imparting a bit of her magic to her mother's ghost so her father could see her.

"Oh, Nadeshiko...," Fujitaka breathed.

"I will be able to maintain your magic for a time." Nadeshiko looked sadly at her daughter. "What I need to say to your father isn't for you to know just yet. I will talk to you later. I promise."

Sakura nodded with tears on her face. "Okay..." She reluctantly pulled away from her mother. "It's a promise."

"You did good today, Sakura. Never forget that I am proud of you," Nadeshiko told her daughter.

"Thank you, Mom." And Sakura left her parents alone.

"Nadeshiko... Is that... really you?" Fujitaka asked with disbelieving eyes.

"Yes, Beloved. I'm here. Just as you've called me," Nadeshiko told him, with neither a smile nor a frown.

Fujitaka bowed his head. "I..."

"I want you to be happy," Nadeshiko told him. "I don't want you to sit home alone. Love is a beautiful thing. Don't throw away what might be to stay in the past."

"Nadeshiko... How can I see someone else when I still love you?" Fujitaka asked her.

Nadeshiko gave him a radiant smile. "Because love knows no boundaries. Our son has found love a second time, with a guy. Our daughter loves a foreign boy. And you know very well the odd relationships my friends were in. You can love again and not betray our love."

"What I want..." Fujitaka trailed off.

"Is something that can't happen for hopefully a long, long time. I will wait for the time you can join me, but I don't mind sharing." Nadeshiko smirked. "I wasn't joking when I suggested inviting Sonomi-chan to join us. Remember, your happiness is my happiness. And I will be quite sad if you remain alone."

Fujitaka reached out to her as her image began to fade. "Nadeshiko... I love you."

"Be happy, Beloved. Be happy." Nadeshiko could be seen no more.

Fujitaka bowed his head, fighting the urge to cry. He promised her that he would not cry. He thought he felt her touch. Perhaps he did. After over a decade of holding in his tears, they finally flooded out from his eyes.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Coming Soon - Chapter 16 Sakura's Doppelganger  
Sakura faces herself in a battle with everything at stake.

Sorry. No omake this time. Instead expect the next chapter in a few weeks.


	16. Sakura's Doppelganger

Reiko would've tapped her foot impatiently if she had a foot to do it with. She had been told to be here, but the one who wanted her there was late. If she didn't owe a favor for being brought over to get revenge on Sakura, she would've left already.

Reiko glared angrily when her wait finally came to an end. "It took you long enough. I got what you asked for." She pointed at a hairbrush that was sitting on the ground near her.

With much disdain, the hairbrush was picked up. A long black hair was pulled from it and immediately discarded. Then a short brown hair was taken from the brush, a hair that was then held out as if it were diseased. Then the chanting began.

Reiko watched as a spell was cast upon the hair, wondering what sort of magic was going to be done. Was the airhead's hair going to be used in some voodoo doll?

The hand holding the now-glowing strand of hair plunged into Reiko. She stared in shock as no magic-user had yet to pass through her ghostly body. The hand was quickly pulled from her, but the hair remained.

Pain. That was all Reiko suddenly felt, absolute pain. She fell to the ground and began to convulse. She couldn't think as her entire being cried out in torture. Blissful nothingness soon descended upon her mind.

The spell continued to work on the dead girl. Flesh forming around the spirit, bringing her back to the land of the living in a faux-life that would not last long. However, the damage that could be done now was far greater.

Dark laughter filled the school as Reiko stopped twitching and she became fully integrated into the very likeness of Kinomoto Sakura.

The laughter ended with uncomfortable reality setting in. Reiko now had Sakura's body, but the girl had no clothes. That would need to be fixed...

* * *

Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon

Chapter 16: Sakura's Doppelganger

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

By: Lord Archive

Author's Warnings:

This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Sakura tried not to make too much noise. Her head was throbbing dangerously. She had always hating reading, but now it seemed she couldn't do it for more than a few minutes without getting a royal headache. She was exaggerating the situation to herself, she was certain. She had been reading for the past few hours and the stress of her situations wasn't helping. Not to mention trying to get a card reading left her more confused.

Not paying any attention to who was talking in the living room, Sakura went straight to the bathroom to grab some aspirins. She rubbed her forehead, willing to the pain-relievers to work faster. She then left the bathroom, and the voices became more evident to her.

Sakura peeked into the room and saw her father talking rather animatedly about some archaeological dig or something, while her boyfriend was sitting there listening intently.

"Syaoran-kun, when did you get here?" Sakura asked in surprise.

"Huh?" Syaoran glanced at the clock. "Erm... about an hour ago. I was going to ask if you wanted to grab something to eat...?"

Sakura held her forehead. "Wish you asked me that an hour ago. My head is killing me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to monopolize your boyfriend's time," Fujitaka apologized.

Syaoran got up and guided Sakura to sit down. He began to massage her forehead as he had before the last time they had made out. She squirmed a little, not because of the way he was touching her, but out of memory of how they had gone beyond kissing. She was sure he was remembering it as well.

Fujitaka coughed. "I'll be going downstairs to work on something. I'll reheat some leftovers when I get hungry. You two have fun."

Sakura and Syaoran began to blush, wondering if her father knew what was running through their minds. Still, the boy leaned forward and kissed her forehead, the same as he did that day. He did not move to her lips this time.

"Feeling better?" Syaoran asked her gently.

Sakura nodded, though her head was still throbbing slightly. "Why don't we just pick something up and eat at your place? I don't want to deal with too much noise right now."

"Let's go," Syaoran agreed. Leaving her home with her hand in his.

* * *

Emerald eyes gazed into a mirror at the naked image reflected. The equally naked and far more satisfied boy slumbering in the bed behind her had jumped at the chance to sleep with her. All it took was a little story of Syaoran having an affair with Meiling and she wanted revenge to get over any reservation he had. Now there was a boy who knew what it was like to plunder Kinomoto Sakura's body.

Getting dressed quickly, she left the love motel room. There was no need to dwell on her former classmate. If he overslept and got charged more for the room, that would be his fault. She cared nothing for him other than to further ruin the airhead's reputation.

It couldn't be more perfect. In this body, Reiko could do more than just hurt her murderer. She could destroy her.

* * *

"You did a card reading?" Syaoran asked as he set about disposing of what little remained of their dinner.

"I tried to do one," Sakura replied. "The cards couldn't agree on what to do. I asked the same question and got two different answers. One listed Mirror as part of the answer and the other as part of the problem."

"That doesn't make sense," Syaoran grumbled.

"You're telling me?" Sakura shot back. "How can Mirror be an answer?"

"Maybe because Mirror was once like me."

Sakura screamed in terror. She then held her hand over her wildly beating chest. "Don't do that to me, Fanren-chan!" She then groaned. "Damn, my headache is back."

The ghost of Syaoran's sister giggled a little. "Sorry, but how else am I supposed to appear?"

Sakura let out a long breath. "At least I'm no longer scared at your mere presence."

"Odd that we can thank Ichimai for that little cure," Fanren commented. "Still, Syaoran, you remember what Clow Reed's books said about Mirror, right?"

"I don't know what..." Syaoran's eyes widened. "The ghost card!"

"Right." Fanren nodded.

Sakura blinked in confusion. "What do you mean by 'The Ghost' card? There isn't one."

"Clow Reed didn't refer to all his cards by their names in his writing. Besides, if I knew that there was a Mirror card, you wouldn't have been the one to capture it. However, in one of Clow Reed's accounts on making cards, he referred to coming across an angry ghost who he could not save. Instead he sealed the ghost into a card. There aren't many cards the ghost could be, and The Mirror would make the most sense," Syaoran explained.

"So the cards can't agree if I should make her a card or find another means." Sakura pouted. "Though it does seem odd that the reading with The Mirror as the problem relates to The Hope, The Flower and The Libra as the solution. How can those relate to saving her?"

Syaoran walked up behind the couch and began to massage Sakura's shoulders. "If anyone can find a way, you can."

"Wish I felt so confident." Sakura sagged. "I need a nap."

"Of course." Syaoran quickly moved to pick her up, much to her surprise. He then carried her to his room and gently set her on his bed. He climbed next to her, holding her tightly against him. Sleep fell upon her quickly, and Syaoran silently vowed to do everything he could to help her.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me we were having an affair?" Meiling asked her cousin as she arrived at the spot their friends were eating lunch at.

"What?" Syaoran looked at her, utterly confused.

"That's the rumor, we're lovers now and Kinomoto has been bedding boys to get revenge," Meiling told him, her tone showing she didn't believe any of it.

"That's not! I wouldn't..." Sakura protested.

"It surprised the hell out of me to find you getting felt up," Meiling countered. "There's no way it can be true."

Tomoyo and the other girls nodded in agreement.

"Those two boys from our class have some nerve claiming it, though," Meiling groused.

Sakura pursed her lips. Something didn't feel right about this. Why would they lie about her? It didn't make sense. She let her presence wash over the school and found that Reiko wasn't at the school at all. That didn't feel right either. Her magical senses began to tingle and the image of a card appeared in mind, causing her eyes to widen in surprised realization. "Mirror?!"

"What was that?" Syaoran asked her.

"The problem relating to The Mirror. I think somehow Reiko-chan has become me!" Sakura cried out in distress.

"How would that be possible?" Tomoyo wondered.

"If a hair or blood of a person is put into a ghost, it is possibly to give them temporarily life. The fake life is unstable and shortens the time the spirit can remain in this world," Takashi related, and then smirked at the stunned looks cast at him. "It was in one of Hiiragizawa's 'stories.'"

"My brush!" Tomoyo cried out. "Ichimai must have taken it after I brushed your hair."

"What an interesting turn of events!" Naoko cheered.

Rika pouted. "But doesn't that mean that those boys really did have sex with Sakura-chan?"

Sakura paled while Syaoran clenched his fists tightly.

"Perhaps we should considering obliterating her soul," Meiling half-joked.

* * *

"Renji-kun..." Reiko cooed, smirking slightly. It was time for someone else to experience 'Sakura's love.'

The baseball player raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you want?"

"I suppose you've heard about me and my boyfriend," Reiko mentioned, toying with her borrowed short brown hair.

Renji nodded slowly. "For cheating on each other, he seemed awfully protective of you today."

"The jerk still thinks I'm his property, even though he's bedding his whore of a cousin!" Reiko retorted with false anger. "He wasn't 'protecting' me, he was holding me as a prisoner. I'm free now, and I intend to stay that way."

"Right..." Renji frowned at her. "And why are you telling me this? Shouldn't you go see Hitoshi-kun or Hiiro-kun?"

Reiko shook her head. "I want a boyfriend who can please me. Those two weren't any better than the jerk I used to go out with. And about as endowed, as in not at all."

Renji folded his arms. "And you are here because...?"

Reiko slithered closer to him, her hand caressing his chest. "I was wondering if you would be interested in applying to be my new boyfriend. Of course you'd need to pass my 'interview.'"

The boy didn't immediately reply, which confused Reiko. All she had to say to him before was 'it's your turn again' and his pants were practically off. She smirked when he nodded and quickly guided him to a private place in the school where she was sure no one would interrupt them, particularly as it would not be the fist time she had sex with Renji there.

* * *

"Headache again?" Syaoran asked as he sat on Sakura's bed, looking up from his homework.

"Yeah." Sakura rubbed her forehead. "I wonder if it has anything to do with Reiko-chan. Maybe she's... you know... with some guy."

Syaoran scowled darkly. "I can't believe what's going on with her."

Sakura sighed. "Once we get..."

Sakura's computer chirped, announcing she had a new email.

"...Eriol-kun's e-mail," Sakura finished before checking to see if it was indeed from her friend in England. She frowned at what she read, the stress in her forehead was not helping her. "This isn't good. Eriol-kun says a ghost has at most a week after taking on human form before the body fades away. When that happens, the ghost is sent directly to the afterlife."

"Ichimai can still do a lot of damage in the mean time," Syaoran growled.

"We have to save her! If she dies as she is now, she's going to hell." Sakura stood up and began to wobble.

Syaoran shook his head. "First we take care of your pain, THEN we'll try to track down Ichimai."

Sakura slumped back into her seat. "Fine."

* * *

Reiko quietly got dressed, an evil smirk playing across her face. Renji had been oddly tentative at first, but he had outdone himself. If she was really 'interviewing' for a boyfriend, he had just passed her test with flying colors.

The fake Sakura prepared to put her socks on, but stopped when his hand grabbed hers.

"Reiko... Please don't leave me again," Renji told her desperately.

Reiko's now-emerald eyes widened in shock. "I'm not..."

"Kinomoto doesn't play with her hair and she doesn't insult people. She doesn't speak so crudely either," Renji retorted. "And how would Kinomoto know this room is 'private' or move like you do during sex." He looked away. "I've been with Michiko-chan... and I hated it. She didn't move or talk like you. She wasn't you, Reiko."

The dead girl yanked her borrowed flesh out of his hand, grabbed her shoes and ran off.

Renji reached out for her, but she was gone.

* * *

Sakura landed lightly on top of her school, her white wings shimmering in the moonlight. Her gaze wasn't looking for signs of the ghost who borrowed her appearance but on Syaoran. With a few heavy steps, he landed a few meters from her with rainbow colored wings that folded irritably. This was the first time she got to see him use The Birds on himself, and the affect made him look even more handsome.

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," Syaoran grumbled, scanning the school grounds with more than just his eyes.

"If only we had something Reiko-chan owns," Sakura mentioned.

"Wouldn't work," Syaoran replied. "Right now she's both Ichimai and you. It wouldn't work any more than using something of my mother's in an attempt to find one of my sisters."

Sakura tilted her head. "Are you saying Reiko-chan is functionally my daughter?"

Syaoran shook his head. "Only in a magical sense. We'd need something of hers that she owns now to track her."

"Considering she only owns clothes now, it's not likely we'll find that," Sakura bemoaned.

Syaoran nodded. "At least possessing a body means she needs sleep."

"Not very helpful considering she could be sleeping anywhere with anyone," Sakura muttered.

"Right," Syaoran growled. "Let's check the homes of our classmates. She might be with one of them."

* * *

Syaoran was beginning to really hate that schools made it mandatory that every student had to participate in one club. He wanted to be near Sakura to keep her safe. More than a few boys fully believed she was now 'sexually free' and were trying to get her alone. So far she had been able to avoid the boys unwanted advances by being near him or her friends at all times, but that could only last so long. Unfortunately, the football team had a match this weekend and the cheerleaders were expected to perform at the game. Both of them were needed at their respective clubs.

"Li-kun, I need to talk to you," Renji called out, marching right up to him.

"What do you want?" Syaoran growled.

"I don't know how to say this..." Renji looked away. "The rumors about you girlfriend are both true and false."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"I wasn't sure about all the talk about Reiko being a ghost, but now I know it's true. She's possessing your girlfriend. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. I was with her yesterday and that was Reiko in Kinomoto's body!" Renji insisted.

Syaoran didn't immediately reply. This was an opportunity he could use. "That... that could explain her headaches. If it's Ichimai's ghost possessing her or her guilt manifesting another personality..."

"I doubt it's the latter. Ichimai has some... peculiar habits. And I doubt Kinomoto would know about the sexual ones," Renji corrected.

Syaoran gritted his teeth. "Right..."

"I'll try to get the other guys to understand," Renji promised. He then fished something out of his pocket. "You might want to return these to Kinomoto. She left them behind."

Syaoran's eyes widened at the pair of socks and immediately grabbed them. "I'll be able to track her now!"

"What was that?" Renji asked.

"Uh, nothing," Syaoran blurted nervously. "Thanks, you've been a great help."

Renji frowned. "If there's anything I can do for Reiko, let me know. There's still something I have to tell her."

"Um, right. We'll see," Syaoran half-promised, doubting the boy could be of real help and not wanting to risk exposing him to magic.

* * *

Reiko whistled as she walked down the road. She wondered where she could find another classmate to add another notch in the airhead's bedpost. It didn't help her when Renji decided to practically camp out at the school. She still didn't understand how he had been able to recognize her or what difference to him who he had just fucked. He was a guy. Weren't all girls the same to him?

A stinging sensation struck her arm. She looked and saw a strange beam of light that was continuously striking her. "What is that?"

Reiko tried to move away from the light, yet no matter where she moved or to, the beam followed her everywhere. Even when she tried to put something between herself and the source of the light, it would just go right through her makeshift shield and still hit her.

"There she is!"

Reiko turned and saw Meiling pointing at her with Syaoran, holding a strange glowing board with a familiar sock on top of it, following behind her. She tried to run from them, but the Chinese girl was on her in an instant. A flying kick to her chest sent her flying back into a wall, sending new feelings of pain all through her new body. Reiko tried to get back to her feet, struggling against the pain that was becoming all too common since discovering Sakura was a magical girl. Meiling didn't let her get to her feet, with a sharp kick to her back slamming her into the sidewalk. Her attempt to crawl away met with failure as Meiling grabbed her right arm and vicious wrenched it behind her back, pinning her in place.

"OW! Meiling-chan, stop! I'm Sakura!" Reiko hissed out in pain, hoping to confuse the girl.

"Not going to buy that one. At least not with you wearing a school uniform right now," Meiling retorted, twisting the captive arm more.

"Meiling-chan, don't hurt her!" Sakura cried out, running up to them wearing a pink jumpsuit with flowery stripes down the sides and with a simple image of a ghost on her shoulders with a red line across it.

Tomoyo said nothing as she stood behind her best friend and filmed everything.

"This isn't hurting her," Meiling shot back. "I could break her legs so she can't run off."

"MEILING-CHAN?!" Sakura screeched.

"Just kidding," Meiling replied.

Reiko wasn't entirely sure the Chinese girl had been kidding. "So, is the airhead upset that I let boys have fun with 'her?'"

Sakura pouted as she walked up to her physical copy. "I don't like it, but I'm not upset. What I did to you was unforgivable. You have every right to hate me."

"You bet I do! You killed me!" Reiko shouted.

"I know." Sakura sighed. "Reiko-chan, I know it's hard, but you have to let go of your anger. If you don't... when that body disappears in a few days... you'll go to hell."

"WHAT?!" Reiko cried out.

"The path to hell is lined by anger and hate. If you can't let go of your negative feelings, you'll be dragged down into damnation," Syaoran told her sternly.

Reiko didn't move for a moment, and then she exploded. Either her borrowed body had more strength than she thought or Meiling had been too confident, as she threw off the Chinese girl and lunged for Sakura. Her hands tightened around the girl's neck. "If I'm going to hell, you're coming with me!"

Sakura didn't even wheeze for breath once before Syaoran unleashed a blindingly fast attack on Reiko. The undead girl tumbled away, grabbing her now bruised shoulder.

Reiko shakily got to one knee. "If I only have a few days left, I'll make sure to destroy everything!" Using her borrowed athletic body and the skill she had in cheerleading in life, the undead girl tumbled past Meiling and picked up the fallen sock that had dropped off Syaoran's board. She then sprinted off.

Syaoran moved to hold Sakura, checking her neck for injuries. "Are you okay?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah. She just surprised me."

Syaoran then looked at his cousin. "Why aren't you running after her?"

"Why? She can't run from us. We still have her other sock," Meiling pointed out.

"I won't be able to attune the board to that sock until tomorrow. She's going to have another day to hurt Sakura now," Syaoran spat.

"Oops. Sorry," Meiling apologized sheepishly.

Tomoyo shook her head. "I suppose now that she knows her time is limited, she'll try to attack me as well."

"You did nothing to her!" Sakura protested.

"I failed to deal with my mother's death, which led to your decision to let Ichimai die." Tomoyo looked away. "In a sense, I'm more to blame than you are."

"But it's not your fault! I was the one who chose!" Sakura cried out.

"You chose because of me. I have as much right to feel guilty over a death we couldn't prevent," Tomoyo pointed out.

"Arguing whose fault it is won't stop Ichimai," Syaoran grumbled. "Sakura, let's fly around and see if we can spot her. She can't have gone far."

* * *

"Hope, Flower, Libra...," Sakura muttered to herself as she ate lunch with her friends. "What do they mean?"

"Perhaps you should take a break from the ghostly problem and focus on tomorrow's test," Rika advised. "High school placement tests will be coming before we know it."

Sakura shook her head fiercely. "Reiko-chan has at best four days. If she's not saved before then, she's going to hell!"

Naoko's glasses sparkled with delight. "Perhaps we can help with the riddle. Let's see the cards that offer the solution."

Sakura frowned and pulled out the three cards depicting the scales of Libra, a beautiful dancing woman surrounded by flowers and a young girl clutching a winged heart.

"What does The Libra stand for?" Chiharu questioned.

"Truth," Sakura answered. "It allows me to detect lies or make people unable to tell a lie."

Yamazaki shuddered. "The day I couldn't tell stories..."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah. That's when I captured it. The card went after you with your tall tales."

"Does The Flower carry any special meaning?" Rika questioned.

"Happiness, mostly," Sakura replied. "We've never had The Hope in a reading before, so I don't know what it could mean."

"Maybe it's love?" Chiharu guessed. "I mean she is holding a heart and that templated card The Void fused with was created by your love for Li-kun."

Tomoyo frowned. "Love, happiness and truth... That doesn't sound like Ichimai. She doesn't love anyone. I don't think she even likes herself."

Syaoran blinked. "Maybe..."

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

"That baseball player I got the socks from knew Ichimai well enough to know that was her and not you. Though he thought she had possessed you. Maybe we're not the solution, but him," Syaoran suggested.

Sakura looked at her boyfriend with a surprised gaze. "You mean there's someone who truly loves Reiko-chan?"

Syaoran shrugged. "I'm not sure, but it's a thought."

"It's worth a try. I doubt you'd want someone as unruly as Ichimai as a card," Meiling mentioned.

"How do we go about getting him to help without exposing him to magic?" Tomoyo questioned.

"I have an idea!" Naoko grinned. "I'm afraid Sakura-chan will have to sit it out. Can't have lover-boy see two of you."

* * *

"Come on, Makoto, let's have fun," Reiko purred.

"You don't have to keep saying that." The boy was drooling as he followed the girl down the street. He blinked as a strange light flashed and Sakura's body shimmered briefly, momentarily taking on the appearance of a familiar black-haired girl. "What... Ichimai?"

"Damn it! Not them again!" Reiko sprinted off. She sparred a look back only to see Meiling and Renji chasing after her, with Makoto dumbly pointing towards her.

"Fuck! This just gets shit on more and more," Reiko cursed. At least the sting from the light had ended. She just had to lose those idiots.

A strong wind suddenly came out of nowhere that slowed her speed before a gust struck at her legs, knocking her to the ground. "That fucking airhead."

Reiko tried to catch her footing, but the wind continued to assault her. When it suddenly subsided she found Renji's arms wrapping around her in a hug. "Let go of me!"

"I was stupid to have let go of you before, Reiko. I'm an idiot. A stupid fucking idiot," Renji told her barely above a whisper.

"I could've told you that, baseball brain!" Reiko shouted at him.

Renji let out a short laugh. "You were always quick with names. Not even the guys you slept with were safe." He held her tighter against himself. "I even like that nickname, even if you meant it as my brain is only the size of a baseball. Sometimes I think it's true. If it's not baseball, I didn't care about it."

"Lovers' spat! Nothing to see!" Meiling waved away an elderly couple walking past them.

"Lovers? Ha! Do you have any idea how many guys I've been with?" Reiko spat. "Fifteen!"

"I know." Renji swallowed hard. "I counted them. Didn't know why it bugged me. Why I didn't feel any joy when someone else pulled off some great game winning performance. It's because I knew you would reward them. It's why I tried so hard to be the star player all the time so you could reward me, and only me."

"So you like cunt. Big deal. So does every other guy." Reiko continued to struggle against his grip, to no avail.

"I wish Syaoran 'liked cunt,'" Meiling groused bitterly. "And I'm soooo sure that Yamazaki married just for the sex," she sarcastically added.

"Reiko... this is all the stuff I should've said to you while you were alive... but was too stupid to realize it. I didn't just want to be rewarded by you. I... I wanted you." Renji leaned his head forward, touching the top of her head with his face.

Reiko's eyes widened in shock. "You're crying?!"

"Reiko... I wish I hadn't been so stupid... I wanted to be your only boyfriend... I wanted you to love me... the way I love you!" Renji finished with a sob.

"You... love me? No one has ever said that to me... not even my mother...," Reiko whispered. She then shook her head. "You can't love me. No one does."

Renji let go of her and spun her around. "I love you, Reiko." He then kissed her soundly on the lips.

Reiko melted into his embrace. Part of her still wanted to deny what he said, but those were words she had longed to hear from someone who truly meant them. Her parents had never said those words to her, or each other. Her father was one who believed in letting actions speak instead of words, and her mother had followed his example. Now, finally, someone had said those words to her. She pulled away from his kiss. "You stupid baseball head. Why couldn't you have told me this before!"

"WHA?!"

Reiko looked over and saw Sakura trying to catch her balance a few feet from her. The airhead was holding her wand but was otherwise dressed exactly like she was, down to the missing socks.

"Oh, Reiko! You're really back!" Renji cried out, spinning her around.

Reiko felt her hair, and found it long enough to look at her own black strands. She then began to cry as her body started to grow cold. "Not for long. I'm dead, you idiot."

"Stay with me!" Renji pleaded.

"You don't think I want to?" Reiko shot back. "I don't want to go away. All I ever wanted was to be loved. Now that I have that, it's too late. I'm going to hell! You'll never see me again, even after you die!" Reiko sobbed.

"I don't think so," Sakura interrupted. "Do you feel anger or hate? Do you want to hurt me?"

"I want to stay with Renji!" Reiko cried out.

Sakura clenched her staff over her heart. "Then embrace that feeling and wait for him in heaven!"

"I will wait for you," Renji promised.

"Don't be an idiot," Reiko shot at him. "I plan on having as much fun as I can, so should you. Find a girl, have some kids. And when your time comes, I'll welcome you."

"Reiko..." Renji's hands passed through her now ghostly fingers. "I'll never forget you. I will see you again."

Reiko smiled through her tears. "Goodbye, baseball brain."

"Goodbye..." Renji whispered.

With a flash of light, Reiko's fading form disappeared completely.

Sakura let out a long sigh. "She really did go to heaven. Thank you, Godou-kun. You saved her."

Renji glared at the boy who walked up behind Sakura. "You knew this would happen, didn't you?"

Syaoran shook his head. "It's what we hoped would happen. If Ichimai continued to hurt Sakura, when her time was up in a couple days, she would've gone to hell."

Renji bowed his head. "I don't know if I should thank you or deck you."

"Do as you wish," Syaoran offered.

Renji ran up to the boy and punched him squarely in the face, knocking Syaoran to the ground.

"What?! Why you do that?!" Sakura cried out, immediately going to her boyfriend's side.

Renji smirked as he wiped away his tears. "You could've let me know she had a few days. I could've taken her on a real date. Thanks anyway. Now we can meet again." He walked off, his head held high as he gazed at the night sky.

Syaoran smiled as he rubbed the front of his face. "You're welcome."

Sakura let out a frustrated moan. "I'll never understand boys!"

"And they'll never understand us," Meiling chirped. "Now I say we celebrate!"

"Yah!" Kero-chan flew out from where he was hiding. "We deserve a feast!"

"You shouldn't get any after ditching us yesterday to play your game. We wouldn't have lost Ichimai if you had followed her," Meiling shot at the guardian.

"You didn't do much either!" Kero-chan returned.

Tomoyo placed her hand on Meiling's shoulder. "I believe we should have a little party in Ichimai's honor."

"Right." Sakura nodded in agreement.

Syaoran suddenly slapped his forehead.

"Why did you do that?" Sakura asked in surprise.

"I forgot to ask Ichimai who brought her over," Syaoran growled angrily at himself.

Everyone groaned at the realization of the missed opportunity.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
Coming next: Chapter 17 - Sakura's Moment of Peace  
With one of Sakura's problems solved, a chance to relax arrives.


	17. Sakura's Moment of Peace

Sakura frowned as a boy walked straight up to her as she was changing her shoes at her locker.

The boy fidgeted nervously. "Is it true that you... um..." Sakura was about to interrupt him when he finished, "...can see ghosts?"

Sakura blinked in surprise. She had been approached twice yesterday by boys wanting to 'date' her. He was the first to approach her regarding the 'other rumor' about her. "I... er... well... I did see Reiko-chan as her spirit passed on..."

The boy smiled lightly. "I was wondering if you'd be able to see my Grandfather. He passed away last year..."

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know if I can. I had never seen a ghost before Reiko-chan. And your grandfather would have to be here instead of heaven."

The boy sagged. "I see. Thanks anyway." He dragged his feet as he walked away.

Two boys went up to the one that had questioned Sakura, with one of them saying, "Nice try at getting Kinomoto. Better luck next time."

"It wasn't like that!" the boy blurted.

"Right... And ghosts really do exist and she wasn't sleeping around last week," the other boy retorted sarcastically.

"And graffiti can magically appear three stories up," the first boy shot back.

Sakura flushed as she watched the boys walk off.

Naoko walked up to her friend and put an arm around her. "Don't worry about that. It doesn't matter which rumor they believe, we know the truth."

Sakura smiled at her friend. "I know. But still... I don't want that kind of attention from the boys and the other girls won't come near me now. It's made cheerleading practice a tad difficult. They don't know what to believe."

* * *

Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon

Chapter 17: Sakura's Moment of Peace

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

By: Lord Archive

Author's Warnings:

This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

"How are you having trouble with Cantonese?" Touya questioned.

Yukito shrugged weakly. "The Chinese 'I' know was from when the differences between what the people of Hong Kong and Shanghai spoke was about the same as the differences between the Japanese spoken by Tokyo and Kansai today."

"I guess." Touya shut his textbook irritably, before picking up his sandwich. "It's not like you'd automatically know what the Cantonese words for car or computer would be."

Yukito smiled. "Exactly."

Touya then groaned when his eyes met a certain woman's gaze.

Yukito followed the gaze and saw the woman with short black hair walking across the college cafeteria straight for them. He smirked ruefully. "A new admirer?"

"Yeah, but not mine," Touya growled. "Hello, Togashi-san."

The woman blushed slightly. "Mind if I join you? And you can call me Hanami, Touya-kun."

"Of course." Yukito motioned for the seat next to him.

"I don't think that would be appropriate for someone who is looking to become my mother," Touya groused bitterly.

Yukito blinked in surprise. "She's dating your father?!"

Touya looked away and didn't answer, while Hanami's red face deepened as she nodded.

"Well, I think it's great that your father is moving on. He shouldn't be left alone," Yukito pointed out. He then turned toward the woman. "Hello, I'm Tsukishiro Yukito. You could say I'm-"

"My lover," Touya interrupted.

Yukito shrugged, and then nodded.

Hanami's eyes were wide from shock. "You two... are together?"

"It's even more unconventional than you think," Yukito told her.

"You'll find out eventually," Touya added with bitter amusement.

Hanami pouted at the two men. "You're not just trying to scare me off, are you?"

"If you could be 'scared off' then I wouldn't have a reason to be upset," Touya grumbled.

"Why do you talk like I'm already engaged to your father?" Hanami demanded.

Touya gazed at her flatly. "When you meet Sakura, you'll know more than you ever wanted to."

Hanami blinked in confusion. "Is there something... wrong with her?"

Yukito pulled out his wallet and showed a family photo of sorts. He pointed at the emerald-eyed girl standing next to an amber-eyed Chinese boy. "That's Sakura and her boyfriend. She has had... problems lately. But nothing of the sort you might be thinking."

"With the exception of making you a grandmother within the next two years." Touya smirked evilly.

Hanami huffed. "You really are just teasing me."

"I wish I was," Touya grumbled under his breath.

* * *

Sakura dashed down the hallway and into her classroom. She wondered how she could be so scatter-brained to forget the lunches she made for Syaoran and herself when they were about to set off for a soccer game. She didn't have a lot of time before the bus would be leaving. She quickly grabbed the bento boxes from her desk and made her way to the window. She scanned for anyone that could possibly see her before calling out, "Jump, release!"

Without another thought, Sakura jumped out the third story window and landed safely on the ground thanks to her magic. She then sprinted off toward the bus, never noticing that someone had followed her to the classroom yet had arrived after she had jumped.

Sakura skidded to a stop at the school bus. "Made it!"

"Not a moment too soon. Get in!" Meiling ordered from an open window.

Sakura blushed before hopping on to the bus. She quickly made her way towards the back and sat next to Syaoran, handing him one of the bento lunches. They were not the only ones preparing to eat.

"Don't eat too much. We don't want anyone to cramp up out there," the soccer coach advised.

"Yes, sir," the students replied almost as one, and then promptly ignored his statement as they heartily dug into their meals.

Sakura fidgeted for a moment before asking, "Do you have any special plans for Wednesday?"

Syaoran shrugged. "Besides getting a phone call from my family, no."

Sakura pouted. "But it's your birthday!"

"Yeah, but it's not a big deal," Syaoran replied.

Sakura felt it was a big deal. This was his first birthday they actually would get to celebrate together as a couple and not with a phone call. She had to make this special for him, but how?

* * *

Syaoran stole the soccer ball and raced down the field towards the goal, weaving his way pass the opposing team.

"Go, Syaoran-kun! GO!" Sakura cheered loudly.

Syaoran heard her, and rather than be encouraged by her, his face turned red and became acutely aware of her watching him. He promptly tripped and fell, losing the ball to the other team.

Sakura flushed in embarrassment. "Syaoran-kun...."

"Perhaps you shouldn't cheer for him so loud," Meiling teased.

"I'm surprised your parents let you date him," one of the cheerleaders commented.

The auburn-haired and emerald-eyed girl turned toward her. "Why wouldn't they?"

"He's a foreigner! He's not Japanese!" the girl answered. "Sure he's cute and obviously has money, but what's to stop him from using you and going back home?"

"Oh, the fact he'd never do that. And if he so much as considered doing something so low, I'd kill him," Meiling groused.

Sakura nodded. "And why would being a foreigner matter?"

"My parents would disown me if I dated someone who wasn't Japanese. Dad loves pointing out that you can use the same word to say 'foreigner' or 'trash,'" the girl pressed.

"I don't think that should really matter." Sakura pointed at herself. "I'm not pure Japanese, anyway. I'm part British."

Meiling scowled. "I'd try to 'correct' your Dad's view, but it'd more likely 'confirm' them than put an end to it."

"Meiling-chan, do you have any idea what I should give Syaoran-kun for his birthday?" Sakura asked, wanting to distract her Chinese friend from what the girl had said. "I want to make it something special for him, but I don't have a lot of money."

"Your virginity?" Meiling suggested.

Sakura's face turned into a tomato. "MEILING-CHAN?!"

"I was kidding." Meiling waved it off, but few thought she had meant it as a joke. "Just make a day of it with him. I'm sure the best gift he could have is spending some time with you." She then smirked. "Though the less clothes on, the more he'll like it."

Sakura turned away from her friend in time to see Syaoran once again race down the field. She held herself in check, not wanting to distract him. She wasn't sure what she'd blurt out after Meiling's teasing. As Syaoran neared the goal, he passed the ball to his teammate who fired a shot into the goal.

The cheerleaders erupted into a practiced cheer, which Sakura was thankful for. Meiling's words still lingered in her mind.

* * *

Fujitaka stood with Hanami before a wall taken from an ancient Egyptian temple. "This tells of an ancient flood that washed away the world," he told her.

Hanami gazed at the hieroglyphs. "It's amazing how many ancient myths relate to a great flood."

Fujitaka nodded. "Scientists are beginning to find evidence that the flood did happen and was the result of a meteor striking off the coast of Madagascar. It certainly wasn't as large as the Yucatan meteor that killed the dinosaurs, but the locations of all the religion with flood myths makes a circle with that as the epicenter. They just need the smoking gun to prove it."

"The impact crater?" Hanami guessed.

Fujitaka nodded. "Unfortunately, the seafloor is so large, and the thousands of years of tidal movements have made it difficult to determine exactly where the meteor struck. Assuming that was the cause."

Hanami sighed wistfully. "Too bad time travel is as much fantasy as some of the ancient myths."

Fujitaka frowned. "Most myths were based on real events that have been embellished over time. However, I am beginning to wonder how much has actually been embellished and how much has been fatefully recorded history."

"More than half the myths out there would require magic to be real," Hanami pointed out.

"I know." Fujitaka rubbed his chin, trying to figure out how best to say this. "I have come across real magic. And I'm not talking about stage magic or using chemicals to produce special effects."

"Sensei... if magic did exist, it would change everything we believe about the world. With magic the great flood could've been caused by a god or a magic-user strong enough to be one," Hanami pointed out with some skepticism.

"Powerful ancient magic-users may have been the gods of the past, but I doubt even working together they had the power to cause the great flood. Even with magic in the world, some answers to the past would still belong to science," Fujitaka told her.

A laugh interrupted their discussion. "Only Fujitaka-sensei would think a museum would make for a good date."

Hanami flushed. "Ah, hello, Mitsutani-sensei."

The elderly and somewhat plump teacher approached his student. "Dear, if you're interested in ancient Egypt, you should've stayed in Fujitaka's class. Then you wouldn't be bored to tears with my lectures on Mesopotamia."

"They're not boring!" Hanami protested. "And, er... well...."

"I wouldn't be able to take her out like this if she was enrolled in my classes," Fujitaka added.

Mitsutani's eyes widened. "This IS a date. Fujitaka... you're..." The old teacher laughed. "If only I could be so lucky as you. Well, I won't keep you lovebirds occupied with my unwanted presence. Have fun." He walked a few steps away before adding, "And get her out of the museum. The gods know that if you marry her, the two of you would practically live in them."

* * *

"That movie was horrible," Shinji bemoaned as he sat across from his girlfriend at a diner.

"It wasn't that bad. Sure they horribly mangled the mythology of vampires and werewolves, but the story itself was rather logical and well done," Naoko retorted.

"'Mangled' isn't the word for it. I mean could you honestly say you'd be happy if 'Bloody Sword Detective' was directed by those morons?" Shinji shot back.

Naoko shuddered. As a writer, she knew that eventually something she wrote would be made into a cartoon series or movie and that they wouldn't be one hundred percent faithful to her intentions. As solid as the plot was for the movie, it wasn't faithful to anything. "I see your point, Shinji-kun. It could've been a lot better if the myths weren't ignored for the sake of the plot. Though it also could've been a LOT worse."

Shinji nodded. "That's for sure. The fight scenes were cool at least."

Naoko laughed. "You should see Li-kun and Meiling-chan go at it. They're better than what that movie had."

Shinji squirmed in his seat. "I wish I had been able to watch Li-chan kick Satome's ass. She has to be good to beat up guys like him."

"They're both masters," Naoko affirmed. "Though while Meiling-chan's skills are high enough, even she knows she's not ready to handle having a student."

Their waitress walked up to them. "Here's your bill."

Shinji frowned at the amount. He reached for his wallet and pulled out a one thousand yen note and a couple hundred yen coins. He recounted his money. "I thought I had more money."

"You shouldn't have bought that large bag of popcorn," Naoko pointed out in a somewhat joking tone.

"I don't have enough to cover the bill...," Shinji whispered.

Naoko shook her head. "I'll take care of it." She added a few one hundred yen coins to the ones Shinji put on the table as tip. "Stay here while I pay for it."

Shinji nodded as he sulked in his seat.

Naoko went up to the register and frowned as she found a lack of currency in her purse as well. Thankfully the restaurant was able to accept charge cards and her debit card was compatible. However, the name on the card wasn't one she wanted Shinji to see.

The woman at the register didn't seem to even bother look at the receipt until after Naoko walked away. When she saw the name, Konagi Noa, all she could do was stare in shock.

"Come on. Let's go," Naoko called to Shinji.

Shinji got out of his chair and followed Naoko out of the diner. His mind slowly slipped from having his girlfriend pay for him to other thoughts about the girl. She wasn't the best looking girl in his class, but she was cute in her own right. He hadn't really paid a lot of attention to how she was dressed before. His eyes now took in her bare legs that were neither too fat nor too skinny. And the swish of her short skirt teased him with the possibility of seeing what she wore beneath it.

Naoko glanced behind a few times to make sure her date was with her. She flushed a little noticing he was no longer sulking but was eyeing her intently. She had seen boys look at other girls like that, but never had she seen someone give her that look. She couldn't help but smile even though she knew his mind wasn't pure. He wanted her and not Sakura, Tomoyo or Meiling. It made her feel special in a way no one had made her feel before.

The couple frowned when their trek came to an end at her house. Both shifted uneasily and avoided making any sort of eye contact.

"Ah... This is it," Naoko said sheepishly.

Shinji nodded shyly. His question dying on his lips. How does a guy ask to be invited into a girl's house?

Naoko pouted slightly. How do you beat a boy over the head to let him know you wanted to be kissed?

"I... ah... guess I should go home now..." Shinji muttered quietly.

Naoko frowned. "I... guess...."

Shinji turned and walked away with a forced smile. "I'll see you at school."

Naoko waved. "Yeah. See you."

Shinji sulked, wishing she would've invited him in. Then the date would've really gotten 'exciting.'

Naoko sagged, wishing he would've kissed her. It would've been a good end to her date. She slowly entered her house.

"Stupid," both of them said at the same time, both directing the comment more to themselves than the other.

* * *

Sakura fidgeted as she sat on Syaoran's couch. It was his birthday and she had no present to give him. She spent all Sunday shopping, but couldn't find the perfect present for him. Now here she was, sitting in his home with nothing to give but a birthday card.

Syaoran hug up the phone, having finished his call from his family. He thanked them for the presents they had sent, even Feimei despite what she gave him. He walked up to his girlfriend and his heart sank. She was crying. "Sakura, what's wrong?"

"I... I wanted to get you the perfect present... but I couldn't find anything I could afford," Sakura sobbed softly.

Syaoran shook his head. "Sakura, I don't really care about presents. I'm just happy that you're here with me."

"But I should've gotten you something," Sakura protested.

"No you didn't." Syaoran then looked away. "I would've rather not to have gotten a present from Feimei."

Sakura blinked a few tears out of her eyes. "What'd she give you?"

Syaoran flushed. "Nothing important."

"Condoms!" Meiling chirped as she walked into the main room, a duffel bag swung over her shoulder. "I think they were the prefect present for you two. Be sure to use them!"

"Meiling-chan?!" Sakura gasped.

"Meiling..." Syaoran growled.

Meiling laughed. "I'm off to the dojo for class. Then I'll hang out with Daidouji. See you late tonight."

"Meiling-chan...." Sakura almost moaned. Why did the girl have to suggest they do THAT and then leave them alone?

"Forget what she said," Syaoran grumbled after his cousin left.

Sakura nodded, though she doubted she would forget. She wished she could relax, but she was halfway into the fetal position with her hands between her legs grabbing tightly to the cushion.

Syaoran wanted to know if Meiling had done that on purpose. With Sakura turning into one big bundle of nerves he wouldn't be able hug her or kiss her. "Um, let's just watch a movie."

* * *

While Meiling was new to the dojo, all the students knew very well that she was not new to the art. Not yet tested in rank, it was clear her previous training had her near master level in their own style. Her issues with their class had to do with too much training rather than not enough. Meiling would often slip into her family's art rather than maintain the practiced forms of their school. This left the girl to be a danger to even the black belts as she would do moves they were not prepared for. Such was the case for second-dan Toushiro who expected a kick yet found her moving in for a devastating palm strike.

"Isn't that a foul?" Toushiro bemoaned from where he laid on the ground.

"It was not an illegal move," the dojo master intoned with a mild harshness. "You know the forms all too well, but that is all you know. Your pathetic loss in that last tournament alone should've shown you that you are not where you should be."

Toushiro grumbled under his breath before he flipped off the ground and went to the side of the room.

"Kensuke, show Toushiro what his failings were, if you can," the master ordered.

Meiling smirked. Kensuke was a first-dan in the school, but that seemed to be only until the next test. Toushiro was the picture of practice and discipline, Kensuke was a sponge. The teenager was already adding her own moves to his style of fighting, and that made him the bigger challenge to her.

The combatants danced around each other, kicking and punching into arms and legs as they tried to find an opening to put the other down. Meiling gritted her teeth, having to put extra thought into her fighting in order to not do moves that weren't allowed by the school.

The lower ranked students watched in awe as the two fought with speed and precision they didn't think was possible. It was poetry in motion, even if the fighters would need to use medication to deal with numerous bruises.

Despite Meiling being young by over a year, her greater experience proved to be the winning edge. She faked an opening that Kensuke tried to exploit. Expecting the attack, she dodged it easily. His attack caused him overextended his right arm and let her slip a palm strike to his chest, which laid him on the ground.

"We're going to have to do that again when I'm not bound to forms," Meiling told him.

Kensuke laughed. "I look forward to that ass kicking."

The master let out a chuckle. "That shall wait for another day. Class has ended."

The lesson might be over, but the students didn't leave. They immediately set to clean the dojo so it would be ready upon their return.

"I don't get what I'm doing wrong," Toushiro bemoaned.

"You're too set in what you do and expect everyone else to be the same," Kensuke replied. "In the real world, an attacker isn't going to come at you using this school's martial arts. You are this school's art, but you haven't made it yours. Loosen up and mix up the kata forms. Improvise."

"Easy for you to say." Toushiro slouched. "It's not as easy as you make it sound."

"You're just too comfortable doing what you're told," Kensuke retorted. "Live a little. I bet you've never asked a girl out."

"Of course I have!" Toushiro withered under his friend's gaze. "Okay, so I was five when I did that."

Kensuke laughed. "And why haven't you asked anyone since then?"

"She looked disgusted and kicked me in the balls," Toushiro replied sheepishly.

Kensuke shook his head. "Yeah, that'd leave mental scarring. But you've got to get over it and try again. What's the chances the next girl would do that?"

Toushiro flushed. "What if she's Li-chan?"

Kensuke put his hand on Toushiro's shoulder. "My condolences to your balls."

"Yamane," Meiling called out.

Toushiro stiffened. "Ah, yes, Li-chan?"

"I'm free Saturday," Meiling announced.

"Ah, really?" Toushiro swallowed.

"Yes, really," Meiling returned.

"You'll go out with me?" Toushiro squeaked out.

"That is what I was telling you. We'll go somewhere after Saturday's class," Meiling told him.

"Ah, yeah! Sure! It's a date!" Toushiro chirped.

Meiling turned and left as the dojo cleaning was now finished.

Kensuke slapped Toushiro on the back. "Good luck. Maybe she'll hurt your balls the right way."

Toushiro flushed bright red. "Shut up!"

* * *

Natsumi trudged her way to the house she had grown up in. In many ways it was still more home to her than the apartment her mother now owned outside of town. And after spending hours in the library working on a report, all she wanted was a quick meal and her old bed.

Natsumi opened the door and walked straight into the house. "Hey, sis, bro," she yawned.

"What are you doing here?" Takashi asked, his face oddly red in color.

Chiharu's face was even redder as she sat on her husband's lap, her hands playing with the hem of her skirt that covered both her and her husband up to their knees.

"I told you there might be days I'll need to crash here," Natsumi reminded.

"Yeah, I asked that you warn us first," Takashi insisted.

"What's the big deal?" Natsumi shrugged. "Besides I didn't have advanced warning I'd have a research paper due next week, and with my other classes and my club-- if I didn't do it today it wouldn't get done. Don't mind me. All I want is some instant ramen and my bed."

"You go do that," Chiharu told her in a strange voice.

"Are you two all right? You look a little feverish," Natsumi mentioned.

"We're fine!" Chiharu insisted. "Just go get your food, please!"

Natsumi shook her head wondering what her sister's problem was. She made her way to the kitchen and poured herself some tea and took a drink from it.

"Your sister has the worse timing," Takashi growled in a low voice.

"Just hurry up," was the tort reply from Chiharu.

Natsumi grabbed an instant ramen container and started to prepare it. She caught sight of her little sister running off to her bedroom with her husband following close behind, one hand on his shorts as if to hold them up.

The caffeine must have kicked in when Natsumi's sprayed the microwave with the tea she was drinking. Flushed faces and the throaty voice of her sister should've been clues. The white 'ankle bracelet' Chiharu was wearing and Takashi's shorts peaking out at his knees should've been a dead give away. She thought maybe she was jumping to the wrong conclusion, but Chiharu's bed was now creaking loudly in the quiet home.

Natsumi grabbed some cloth to clean her mess.

"What are you doing?" Chiharu hissed.

"I'm still ready for more," Takashi retorted.

"After where you just stuck that thing?" Chiharu shot back. "Wash it first."

Natsumi looked at her tea. "Why couldn't you have an alcohol content?"

* * *

Tomoyo returned from the bathroom and looked at Meiling with a touch of surprise as the girl looked quite irritated.

Meiling frowned deeply as she sat at a diner. "I just realized this is what I'll likely be doing Saturday."

"So?" Tomoyo wondered, taking her seat across from her friend.

"This isn't supposed to be a date," Meiling muttered.

"Can't you at least let me pretend?" Tomoyo tried to joke, but had to sigh at the glare she received. "Do I make you uncomfortable?"

Meiling shook her head. "No. You are my friend. Possibly the closest one I have. It's just... I don't swing your way."

Tomoyo nodded. "I know. And honestly, while I do like you, just friends would be the best for us."

"How do you figure?" Meiling wondered.

Tomoyo smirked. Her friend's pride apparently wouldn't even let her be turned down by a girl. "You're too conscious of yourself and boys, for one. You're troubled just going to movies and dinner with a female friend being a bit too date-like."

"I'm only troubled because you're interested in girls, not boys," Meiling whispered, knowing that was a deep secret to her friend. "I wouldn't have this issue with our other friends."

"The other point would be that if we were to try something, and it failed, I don't think we could go back to be just friends. And with Li-kun and Sakura-chan, it would make things decidedly awkward seeing each other at family outings," Tomoyo pointed out.

"Right. So, we're clear on this. Just friends," Meiling stated flatly.

Tomoyo nodded. "Yes. Just friends."

"We're paying for our own meals," Meiling insisted.

"Of course." Tomoyo pouted, wondering a little if her friend was protesting a tad too much. She shook her head. As she just said, with Meiling it would be hard to go back to just being friends.

* * *

Meiling arrived home and frowned at the pair sleeping on the couch. They were still dressed and there was no evidence anything had come off. What was the point of getting 'lost' for an afternoon if they didn't use it?

Grabbing a blanket from a closet, Meiling set to cover the pair before calling Sakura's father to warn him that his daughter wasn't coming home. Just as she was about to cover the slumbering couple, Sakura's cell-phone began to chirp.

Groggily Sakura reached out for her purse and grabbed her phone. "Hello?" she croaked.

"Sakura-chan... We have a problem...," Tomoyo's ghostly voice echoed from the phone.

Sakura was instantly awake. "What's the problem?!"

Sakura's distressed voice roused Syaoran from his sleep.

"They're gone... They're all gone...," Tomoyo moaned.

"What is?" Sakura asked with dread.

"My tapes. All the tapes I made. They're gone." Tomoyo swallowed hard. "My room was locked and the security system didn't trigger. Sakura-chan... they could've only been taken by magic."

Syaoran grabbed the phone and barked into it, "We'll be right there!"

Sakura nodded. Hopefully they would finally get proof of who was out to get her.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Coming Next: Chapter 18 - Sakura's End of Innocence A single moment, a single decision can bring the end of childhood.

And now the return of the omake. This will mark the beginning of a series of extra little stories regarding Kurogane's mission.

* * *

"I thought you said you would never work with me again," commented a lean man dressed in a white shirt and pants.

"It's not like I had a choice," Kurogane grumbled. "I need to know if the mage is really here or if it is a trick to deceive any investigation."

"Oh, poo. And here I thought you just wanted my charming company," the man taunted.

"Shut it, Fye," Kurogane snapped.

"If you're done with your lover's quarrel, my master will see you now," groused Spinel, a black cat with black butterfly wings.

"What did you say?!" Kurogane reached for his sword.

"My. You're even more high-strung than the mistress warned me about," Spinel said with slight amusement. "Follow me."

"Be a good boy and don't bite." Fye patted him on the shoulder. "I get the impression this is not a place to make enemies."

Following the flying cat, the pair entered an English manor house and found themselves led to the dining room. At the head of the table sat a teenage boy with black hair. He was flanked by two women. The one on the boy's left looked like she wanted to get out of the chair and prance around, while the one on the right frowned deeply as she looked at Kurogane.

"Welcome to my home. I am Hiiragizawa Eriol," the boy announced. "You have met Spinel already. This is Nakuru." He motioned to his left, and then to his right. "And this is Mizuki Kaho."

Fye bowed dramatically. "I hope you don't mind us intruding. My name is Fye. And the grouch, here, is Kurogane."

"I am aware of why you are here and I understand Daidouji's concern that led you to me," Eriol mentioned. "However, I am afraid the problem Sakura-chan faces is one that I am not familiar with, nor do I wish to be. As heir to the Clow Cards, she will face many challenges in life. I cannot hold her hand every time trouble arises. She must live her own life."

"And how can we be certain that you aren't behind the attacks and this isn't a show for us," Kurogane growled.

"Daidouji has no magic and is unaware of many things that relate to it. If you were to ask Sakura-chan or Syaoran-kun, they would tell you that they have not sensed my presence. If I was to so much as wave a finger in a spell anywhere near them, they would know. In a real sense, I was their teacher in magic and Sakura-chan is especially in tune with my magic. My spells would resonate with her," Eriol explained.

Kurogane glanced at Fye.

"I see that you can't be directly involved, but what about indirectly?" Fye wondered.

"We could sit here all day and debate the points, and yet get nowhere. Trust is something to be earned, and your friend is not one who gives that easily," Eriol replied. "I am here now, not in Tomoeda. I have my own life to lead and a girlfriend I love dearly, but she comes with her own problems."

"I believe you are more the 'problem' with that," Kaho mentioned. "We can furnish proof that Eriol has not left England in the past two years. And I can say that this is a mission that will be unlike any you've had before, Kurogane-san. You shall be hurt in a way that will wound your soul. You must be strong, or you may strike down the true reward with your own hands."

"Any prophecy for me?" Fye asked with a smirk.

"You won't be there when he needs you most," Kaho intoned. "And you'll be there when you shouldn't be there."


	18. Sakura's End of Innocence

Tomoyo fidgeted with her camera. Even though Sakura and Syaoran were combing over her room, she was not recording their actions.

Sakura frowned at her friend. "It's okay, Tomoyo-chan. You can tape this."

Tomoyo shook her head. "It's not 'okay.'"

"There's nothing we're going to be doing that will be of any help to our enemy, even if that tape is stolen as well," Syaoran muttered.

"It's... it's not that simple..." Tomoyo bowed her head. "Everything about Sakura-chan is on those tapes. Every spell she used, every tactic, and even her mistakes all recorded. Once all the tapes have been watched... there won't be any more underestimating her. Not to mention the secrets that were recorded, like Rika-chan's boyfriend and that Hiiragizawa-kun is the reincarnation of Clow Reed."

"Tomoyo-chan...," Sakura whispered. "It's not that bad..."

Meiling glanced into the room from where she stood at the door to keep out of the mages' way. "While the enemy might get a better idea of what Kinomoto can do, the only real fights she has been in were when she was in elementary school and against the enemy. The 'training' you've put her through is hardly the extent of her magic. And the enemy hasn't gained any real information on Syaoran or me."

"But what if the enemy tries to use Sakura-chan's fear of undead?" Tomoyo fretted.

"I'm okay with that now," Sakura assured her.

Tomoyo gave her a knowing look. "Even if zombies are summoned to fight you?"

Sakura shuddered. "Surely that couldn't happen."

"It might." Syaoran frowned. "We'll have to plan for it."

Meiling smirked. "I say doing a marathon of horror movies would be a good thing."

"Can we get back to trying to figure out who did this?" Sakura demanded.

Syaoran sighed. "I know spells were used, but they've been masked."

Sakura pouted. "All I can say it's probably the same person or group that's attacking me."

Tomoyo blinked. "You've felt this aura before?"

"Only vaguely." Sakura ran her fingers over an empty self that once housed her friend's tapes. "It's like trying to taste something after badly burning your tongue. All I can sense is the magic is related in someway to Syaoran-kun's normal magic."

All eyes were now fixed on her.

"Are you saying the attack is from someone in my family?" Syaoran almost barked.

Sakura shook her head. "I can't be sure of that. It could be just the style of magic. If you used one of your cards masked this way, I wouldn't be able to tell if it was one of your cards or one of mine. Your family's style of magic isn't unique, is it?"

"Hardly," Meiling groused. "You can find practitioners who have no blood relation to the Li clan at all."

"So, we still have no evidence," Tomoyo moaned.

"At least we've narrowed down the suspects," Syaoran muttered. "It makes a divine being testing Sakura far less likely."

"However if Kinomoto was being tested by such a high power, making her think the attacks are of mortal origins could be part of her trials," Meiling pointed out.

Tomoyo sagged. "Is there some reason you're being defensive of any theory that takes suspicion away from your family?"

Meiling scowled darkly. "Why would anyone in my family want to hurt Kinomoto? In case you hadn't noticed, I'm just as much at risk of being hurt as you are."

Everyone turned their heads away from her, each seemingly wanting to say more, Sakura included.

* * *

Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon

Chapter 18: Sakura's End of Innocence

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

By: Lord Archive

Author's Warnings:

This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

In an English manor house, Eriol raised an eyebrow as his phone rang. He was not expecting any call, but the one calling was someone he knew. He picked up the phone and answered in Japanese, "Hello, Hiiragizawa residence."

"Hello, Eriol-kun," Sakura greeted somberly.

Eriol frowned. "Is there something that is troubling you?"

There was a pause before Sakura replied, "Actually, it's more that my problems may soon be visiting you."

"How do you figure?" Eriol wondered.

"Eriol-kun... You know that I'm being attacked for some reason. Well... all of Tomoyo-chan's videos have been stolen. Whoever is out to get me knows that you have Clow Reed's memories," Sakura cautiously warned.

"That indeed could be troubling. Yet, even with your warning, I still suspect your troubles are yours alone," Eriol returned.

Again there was a moment of silence. "I guess I was afraid you would say that."

Eriol smirked. "You have an idea who is behind your attacks, don't you?"

"Well, I have two thoughts about it, and neither of them are something I like. That this is some sort of challenge or a mage out to get my cards doesn't make sense." Sakura seemed to choke back a sob. "What does make sense... I don't like it at all!"

"Part of me wants to go out and help you, but..." Eriol trailed off.

"This is my fight to deal with," Sakura finished for him. "Still, I thought you should know. I'll write a letter to you soon. Good-bye."

"Good-bye." Eriol hung up the phone and sighed. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."

* * *

Toushiro's glass of soda splashed slightly as he picked it up.

Meiling rolled her eyes. "You don't have to be so nervous. I'm not going to bite unless you want me too."

The glass promptly slipped out of his hand, splashing his drink everywhere. "Ah... er..."

"I was joking," Meiling growled slightly as the boy moved to clean up the spill.

Toushiro laughed sheepishly. "That was a good movie, huh?"

Meiling leveled her gaze. "Obviously you weren't paying attention to that piece of crap. It was a waste of two hours of my life."

"I didn't think so!" Toushiro chirped.

Meiling shook her head. She placed her hand over his and immediately regretted the action as the boy seized up. "Yamane, let me offer you a bit of advice."

Toushiro blinked. "Huh?"

"Will you please get a grip on yourself? I wanted to know you, not your nerves." Meiling poked his chest. "Next time you go on a date, just be yourself."

Toushiro's eyes widened. "You... You're breaking up with me?"

"I'd hardly call it 'breaking up.' More ending it before it starts. You're a nice guy." Meiling shrugged. "But I don't think I want 'nice' right now. You're the kind of guy to marry, and I'm not looking for that."

"That... sounds really weird." Toushiro pouted. "You're saying that you want a cheap sex partner, not a real boyfriend."

Meiling smirked. "Yeah, maybe it is. Though I hardly want it to be 'cheap.'"

"Why would you want that kind of relationship?" Toushiro wondered.

Meiling looked out of the diner. "Well, you know families with money want more money. I don't want to find myself in an arranged marriage." She then gave her date a hard look. "Don't tell anyone about this. I don't want guys thinking I'm easy. I'm certainly not. I have certain... 'tests' a guy has to pass. There has to be... something, you know?"

Toushiro nodded shallowly. "And I don't have it." He pulled money out to pay for the bill. "Guess Kensuke will be happy to know he still has a chance to go out with you." He then quietly walked out.

Meiling leaned back in her seat. Truthfully she had hoped Yamane's friend would've asked her out in the first place. It would seem she wouldn't have to wait long for that to happen.

* * *

Wandering the streets, Tomoyo tried to think what she could do. There were lots of things on those tapes that could be a huge problem. That the enemy would have a better idea of how to fight Sakura was but one of them.

Coming to a stop where Ichimai had moved on to the afterlife, Tomoyo had to wonder at bringing flesh to the vengeful ghost. Ichimai did not even attempt to murder Sakura. Instead the undead girl tried to soil Sakura's reputation. She used the borrowed body in a way that would make most girls ineligible to marry someone of Syaoran's standing. Then again, Sakura already shouldn't be 'qualified' to be married into the Li clan, being the daughter of a mere teacher and her mother was disowned.

'When there is nothing you can do about something, there is no use thinking about it,' Tomoyo's mother had advised. 'Prioritize what you can do, and don't worry about what you can't.'

As sound as that advice was, it didn't stop her from worrying. There was nothing more she could do about the enemy, considering an assassin had already been hired for that purpose.

Yet, there were other things she would have to consider to deal with the stolen tapes. Damage control could still be implemented to deal with personal attacks that may come from what she had recorded. But what she had to tell certain individuals would be enough to worry anyone. What could she say?

With a flash of white, blackness descended over Tomoyo's troubled mind.

* * *

Sakura rubbed her forehead irritably.

"Headache again?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura nodded. "At least it's not as bad as when Ichimai was around."

Syaoran moved over to her and took her textbook from her hands and set it on the coffee table. He then began to massage her forehead.

Sakura pouted at him. "I don't really have a headache."

"Best to take care of it before you do." Syaoran kissed her forehead briefly, but then his lips found hers and did not break away. Her tongue invaded his mouth, showing she had no objection to the change in 'study plans.'

Sakura shifted underneath Syaoran, which gave the boy a moment of pause only to realize she was making herself more comfortable and easier for them to have fun. Still no words were said as their hungry kiss continued.

Syaoran's hands began to drift over his beloved's body. Her moans goading him to be even bolder as he touched her. A voice in his head began to nag him, but he ignored it even as his hand disappeared under her skirt.

Sakura began to squirm under him, but he paid that no mind as every part of his being was focused on touching her, exploring her.

Suddenly and without warning, Sakura shoved Syaoran away. He stared at her in wonder, confused at her action. She only spared a moment to readjust her lower clothes that he had disturbed before running out of the apartment. She cried out, "FLY!" And then she was gone.

Syaoran looked at his hand, which was moist with Sakura's scent. Had he gone too far?

* * *

Tomoyo groaned as she woke up. Her head never felt so foggy before. Had she fallen so ill that she didn't remember trying to sneeze out her brain? Her nose was definitely sore enough. She could barely feel her arms as they seemed to be dead weights behind her body. Not a good way to sleep.

"So the princess has awakened," a guy's voice growled dangerously.

Tomoyo's eyes snapped up and saw Satome looming over her, his now stained plaster hand cast identifying him to her disorientated mind. It had been no disease that hurt her head. She could now feel something warm and sticky covering her mouth and chin. The fog of her mind had prevented her from noticing that she was exposed to this thug until she saw her torn clothes lying on the floor. She tried to move away in fear, but discovered where her missing shirt was-- tied around her wrists behind her back.

Satome grinned with nothing but cold menace. "Don't worry. I waited for you to wake up before you got to truly know your place."

"Why are you doing this?!" Tomoyo cried out.

"After what your trashy friends did to me?" Satome slapped her across the face. "Because of them I've lost what little I had. And you're going to pay for it."

"It would be a mistake! Li-kun's threat isn't hollow! Even if he doesn't kill you, my mother will make sure you're dead!" Tomoyo sobbed. "PLEASE! Don't do THIS!"

Satome merely laughed as he advanced and she found herself backed up into a corner. "I've heard that sort of bullshit before. I'm not dead or in jail, am I?"

"You mother can't protect you from this! Please don't do it!" Tomoyo desperately pleaded.

"If you calm down, you might enjoy it." Satome moved closer to her as he pulled down his pants.

Tomoyo closed her tear filled eyes and looked away. She didn't want to see any of what was to follow. She could feel him move closer to her. She let out a scream of terror that was answered with the door exploding off its hinges.

"GET AWAY FROM TOMOYO-CHAN!!!" Sakura bellowed in the most awful, angry voice.

"What the fuck?!" Satome spun around and stared in confusion. His eyes widened at the sight of the winged Sakura. "How in the hell?"

Sakura looked like the very image of an avenging angel when she answered him with a magically empowered kick that launched him into one of the outer walls with enough force that he almost went through it. He slumped to the ground half-conscious.

"Sakura-chan..." Tomoyo rasped out.

Sakura gave her friend a pained look before turning her hate-filled gaze back at Satome. Her hand twitched, her fingers looking like awful claws.

"Allow me," Tomoyo heard a ghostly voice say before a perfect mirror image of herself flashed into existence.

Mirror raised a hand toward the mirror that was in the room and it shattered. The shards floated and hovered before her hand. She cast a look at her Mistress, who only looked away. "You will never hurt a girl like this ever again," Mirror condemned in Tomoyo's voice before the shards streaked through the air and found their mark.

Satome's high-pitched scream echoed loudly.

* * *

Syaoran cursed his indecision as he found Sakura. She hadn't run from him, that much was certain. He swallowed hard at the state Satome was in, crumbled on the floor with blood pooling beneath him. He held no sympathy considering he did not immediately recognize the sobbing girl in Sakura's arms.

Syaoran pulled out his cell-phone and dialed the Daidouji home. When it was answered he ordered, "This is Li Syaoran. Send the bodyguards to room four at Gaihaku Motel. Ah, eleven hundred Bara lane. Daidouji Tomoyo has been hurt." He then hung up the phone after the information was confirmed.

"Don't worry. Help is on the way," Syaoran told the girls.

"Oh, Sakura-chan... I'm so sorry... So, sorry... It's all my fault," Tomoyo sobbed.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "The only one at fault is dickless."

Sakura flinched, causing the boy to once again look at Satome. His eyes widened. "Why didn't you just kill him?"

Syaoran was never so thankful to see Daidouji's bodyguards arrive after minutes of awkwardly standing watch over the girls. No words were passed between them. He immediately moved to pull Sakura away, but she wouldn't let go of her friend.

"Go, Sakura-chan... I'll be fine now..." Tomoyo whispered, and the tight hug she was in lessened enough for the girl to be pulled away.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." Sakura tapped the wall and spoke a single word, "Earthy." The dent caused by Satome's body disappeared as the wall was fixed. "I'll be home waiting..."

Syaoran guided Sakura out of the room and used his magic to take her home.

* * *

The hospital was silent in a way that did not seem natural. Sakura sat besides Tomoyo's bedside, but no words passed between them. Neither moved until there was a sharp knock at the door.

"Hey, it's me," Meiling greeted poking her head into the room. She frowned at the bandages covering her friend's face. "How are you doing, Daidouji?"

"Not too good," Tomoyo rasped. "It seems Satome did a number on me."

Meiling scowled viciously. "What did he do?"

"Broken nose." Tomoyo pointed at her face. "That's it."

"Is that true?" Meiling demanded. "Or are you not telling me things like the bruises that Sakura had on her chest?"

Tomoyo looked away. "He... He did strip me naked, but...."

"I stopped him before he could do more." Sakura bowed her head. "I almost didn't come. I... I was with Syaoran-kun. If I didn't feel Tomoyo-chan screaming... Satome would've... taken her at the same time I..."

Meiling appraised the mop of auburn hair. "And what happened to Satome?"

Sakura remained silent.

Tomoyo didn't seem willing to answer it either. "Even though it was... well, The Mirror... as far as the police are concerned... I made sure he would never father a child."

Meiling's eyes went wide. "Damn...."

Sakura suddenly stood up. "Excuse me... I'm afraid I should go home."

"Sakura-chan..." Tomoyo gazed through her bandages. "Thank you for saving me... And I'm sorry I was so careless."

Sakura stood at the door. "It was my carelessness that started Satome's feud with us. Everything has been my fault... Good-bye." Without another word, she was gone.

Meiling sighed. "Good thing she's not my stupid cousin. Syaoran would try to do everything by himself. She, at least, knows she's useless alone."

* * *

Author's Notes:

Coming Next:  
Chapter 19 - Sakura's Determination  
Sakura sets new goals for herself in dealing with the problems that threaten her and her friends.

A special thanks to Canis Black and Jeremy Mullin for prereading.

This omake is of a legend for one of Clow Reed's deeds, as such it is fiction.

* * *

High atop a hill, surrounded by wilderness as far as the eye could see was a shrine that was built with as much beauty and as fortification in mind when it was built. It was an ideal place for an emperor to hide. Easily defensible, yet suitable for one of such a high rank.

The emperor's son found there was more to the beauty of the shrine than the building itself. Hidden inside was not a treasure of gold or silver, but a young shrine maiden with flawless skin and long hair that was as fine as silk. It would seem the only flaw the beauty had was that she was all too aware of her seemingly perfect visage.

The emperor's son may have held the promise of power if the attempt to overthrow his family's reign failed, but without the adornment of gold and make-up the lad held no more attraction than a lowly farmer. Such a plain person, despite being the prince of an empire, was beneath the maiden's notice. She would prefer to stare at her own reflection than look at him. She had even told the prince as much.

The price of her hubris was high indeed. An aide of the emperor could not stand the insult to the prince by a mere girl. He stole his way into her room to teach her the ultimate lesson of humility. The maiden was forced to watch herself in her beloved mirror as the pleasure of man was forced upon her. To make sure the lesson was never forgotten, he shoved a sword through her heart.

The aide would soon learn his own lesson, for the maiden's anger persisted beyond her death. The trophy of her mirror became a curse to him, and his ability to have children was soon lost. The cursed mirror did not stop with him for within it, the girl's spirit held ill will to all who lacked kindness.

Desperate to end the curse, they sought the help of spiritualists. Each failed to placate the angry spirit. Then came a man from a foreign land who took the mirror away, trapping its restless spirit within strange paper.

Legend of Hizaki Kagome, the cursed mirror of Hizaki Shrine.


	19. Sakura's Determination

"Ah, Satome Himiko, what good timing!"

Himiko scowled darkly at the thin, beady-eyed man rushing towards her in front of the courtroom. "What is it, Hitane? I'm rather busy."

"Well, I thought I'd let you know about the case that was just assigned to me," Hitane hissed in delight.

"What is it this time? A wife beater or some sadist who took saying 'yes' to sex gave tacit approval to cut her open as well?" Himiko growled.

Hitane smirked evilly. "Nothing so easy to defend, I'm afraid." He pulled out a picture from the folder he was carrying. "Real piece of work he did on her face. Her blood was dried onto his clothes before his arrest. All of her clothes were destroyed. Multiple witnesses of him, pants down, on top of her naked and tied up body."

Himiko raised an eyebrow. "And just how are you going to defend this brute?"

Hitane edged closer. "I was hoping you could give me a few ideas."

"And why would I do that?" Himiko's perpetual scowl dropped as she stared at his grinning face. "YOU'RE DEFENDING MY SON?!"

"Oh, yes. Which is of course why I can legally show you this. Too bad you can't try 'refute' his claims of innocence." Hitane sighed dramatically. "This will be a hard case to defend. He even used your credit card to pay for the room. To make matters worse, the girl is rumored to be a lesbian, so hate crime could be added to the charges. At least there's been a long running feud between Satome and that girl's friends. Apparently it began with an accident that quickly escalated with him threatening rape. Something the school had not taken seriously. Your son's hand getting broken might have had something to do with this feud."

Himiko folded her arms. "Failing to prove that this is a set up to protect a demented girl, I'm sure you can use that feud as my son being goaded into taking revenge."

"Of course!" Hitane nodded. "The question is how to spin it all in a way that makes the judges agree. But I'm afraid that's not the only issue."

Himiko glared. "What else?"

Hitane wagged his finger. "Another girl has come forward claiming rape. Apparently she was afraid to come forward before. Alone against your son, the lack of evidence would make her claims hard to stick. However, combined with the case already against him, it will make it harder for me to 'disprove' his guilt."

"You're enjoying this farce, aren't you?" Himiko hissed.

"You've been such a tiger prowling after sexual predators and here your own son is among the worst I've ever come across." Hitane let out a short laugh. "It's a great bit of irony. Of course, I hope none of his other rumored victims step forward. There may be as many as four more supposed victims of your son's anger against women."

"That's bullshit and you know it." Himiko clenched her fists. "And what about Daidouji and her bodyguards? It's been over a month and I still haven't heard any criminal charges against them."

Hitane shrugged. "I'm afraid it has been decided that the level of guilt your son is convicted of will determine whether any charges will be filed. Because of Daidouji's wealth and the fact that she is a minor, any case against her would be extremely hard to push through, especially if the judges deem her actions justified. Right now, it would be thrown out of court."

"She castrated my son!" Himiko cried out, not caring at the attention it drew to her.

"Yes. And having her nose broken in three places, having her clothes ripped off, and nearly losing her virginity to him by force is no defense." Hitane gave her a knowing look. "It's no more justified than a husband teaching his wife a lesson after she failed in her wifely duties."

* * *

Card Captors Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon

Chapter 19: Sakura's Determination

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

By: Lord Archive

Author's Warnings:

This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Her opponent was sloppy as he swung a fist toward her. It was easy for her to see the attack coming and deflect it harmlessly away from her body and send the boy off balance. He stumbled, but managed to keep his feet and swung his arm in a desperate attack. In response, she took a small step back and avoided the blow completely.

Whirling around, he charged at her again. This time she caught his wild swing and pushed down. Her redirection of his momentum resulted in a brief flight as his head changed place with his feet before gravity caught up and brought him to the floor on his back.

The boy growled as he began to rise to his feet.

"That will be enough, Yamada. You have lost," the aged dojo instructor intoned. "Kinomoto, you have done well. You have grasped the concept of waiting."

"Thank you, sensei." Sakura bowed her head.

The old teacher clapped his hands, ending the other sparring matches. "Class has ended. Reflect on your matches and see where you might improve yourself."

"Yes, sensei!" the class replied as one. They immediately set to clean the dojo.

"Kinomoto, will you walk with me?" the teacher questioned.

Sakura nodded and followed the man out of the dojo to a koi pond behind the martial arts school.

"It was rather surprising when Li brought you here a month ago to learn Tai Chi," the teacher told her. He chuckled softly. "I was afraid she had returned to take my dojo sign."

Sakura blinked. "You lost to her before?"

The teacher nodded. "When she was testing schools to join, she challenged me to a match. Granted, I was a bit overconfident. Here I was, an aged master being confronted by a little girl. You would think that I'd have learned my lesson from the Park Destroyer."

Sakura flinched.

The teacher paused as he appraised her odd reaction. "I have heard rumors of her defeat. Are you the one who brained her with a crowbar?"

Sakura looked away. "It wasn't a crowbar, but yes."

He laughed. "If only I had been a younger man, those fights might have been different. Even with our style of using our opponent's strength against them, age has slowed my movements. Seeing how one will attack me does little good if I can't move fast enough to deflect it."

Sakura frowned. "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

He coughed a little. "Right. You know when a girl is attacked it is not uncommon that other girls would seek to gain a means to protect themselves. Despite their sound reason, rarely do they stay with the training. However, that isn't the case with you, is it?"

Sakura sagged. "No, it's not."

"Why have you sought to learn martial arts?" the teacher questioned.

"It's... complicated." Sakura sighed. "Tomoyo-chan was attacked because of my own carelessness. And even though Satome is in jail now, I know I'm not safe. If the time comes I need to defend one of my friends, I don't want to hesitate or make a mistake."

"Just as I thought." The teacher gazed into the koi pond. "You have a special determination to learn. It is why you have advanced faster than the other new students."

Sakura looked away.

The teacher then patted Sakura on the shoulder, thankful she did not flinch from the contact. "Li was right to bring you here to learn. Tai Chi is a good fit for you. Despite your desire to protect others, you still don't want to hurt anyone. Even a person out to hurt you or your friends."

* * *

"What have you done about Daidouji's misbehavior?" Himiko demanded.

Teikei scowled, thankful that as school disciplinarian he got a private office. This was not something he wanted to deal with as school resumed from summer vacation, and bringing undue attention to the issue in question would only make it worse. "I have no proof she is in violation of any school rules."

"She attacked my son! What more proof do you need?" Himiko growled dangerously.

"I am aware that she caused... injury to your son off school grounds after he broke her nose and nearly raped her," Teikei returned.

"That is HER story," Himiko hissed. "I don't believe it. I taught my son to respect women. He would never hurt a girl like that. It is more likely he broke her nose after she hurt him."

"The police don't have that opinion, but they are still investigating the matter. If it is determined that she is the guilty party, the matter will be taken care of appropriately," Teikei told her reassuringly.

"That is bullshit." Himiko slammed her hands on his desk as she stood up. "I've looked into her history. She is no angel. She has been a suspect in multiple counts of vandalism."

Teikei leveled a harsh gaze at her. "I have looked into that myself. In the most recent rash of damages to the school, I was able to rule her out as a suspect. That is something I was not able to do with your son."

"Like my boy would have any reason to wreck anything," Himiko spat.

Teikei opened a drawer and pulled out a thick student file. "Your son is one of the worst violators of school rules we've ever had. Fighting, reported robbery, confirmed vandalism... reported threat of rape... and rumored rape."

"How convenient you have that file now." Himiko grabbed the file and waved it at him. "And why is this the first time I've heard of any of this crap?"

"Because we could never get in contact with you," Teikei returned coldly. "We've sent numerous letters and left countless phone calls at your home, and you never even showed up for a single parent-teacher conference to learn just what your son has been doing here."

"Why didn't you call my work number?" Himiko pressed.

Teikei held up the front page of Satome's file. "Not listed."

"What?!" Himiko grabbed the paper. "Is this some kind of joke? I filed it with you when I registered my son. How do you not have it?"

"Either it was a filing error or it was intentionally removed from our records." Teikei took the paper back from her hands.

"What do you have to say about all of this?!" Himiko demanded.

"I wish I had forced your son out of this school a long time ago," Teikei answered evenly.

Himiko screamed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her in the process.

Despite the anger in her mind, she still heard a boy mention her son's name as she walked out of the school building.

"Damn, Satome really did do a number on Daidouji."

Himiko glanced across the schoolyard and saw the 'supposed' victim wearing a clear plastic mask over her bandaged nose.

"Hey, Asaba, you're dating Yanagisawa, what do you know about it?"

Asaba frowned. "Satome attacked Daidouji, and after her bodyguards found them and beat him up, she broke a mirror over his nads."

The boy seized up. "Damn... that had to hurt."

Asaba laughed sheepishly. "Satome is a girl now."

All the boys in earshot crossed their legs protectively.

Another boy pounded his fists together. "Good thing for Satome he's in jail now. Otherwise I'd beat him up for hurting Daidouji."

"Yeah, right. And how many times did Satome make you pay for his lunch?" another one taunted.

"Shut up!"

Himiko growled as she strode toward the school gate.

"Did you hear about Daidouji," one girl mentioned to another.

"Yes. I feel safer now that Satome is gone. Too bad it was Daidouji who had to pay the price." The other girl sighed. "It's a shame Mitsu-chan never came forward."

"I hope Daidouji doesn't blame her."

"Doubt it, considering that Daidouji would be blaming Kinomoto as well."

"You think he got her?"

"Well, it could explain her sleeping around like that and why she's been a basket case for a while now."

Himiko's steps became unsteady as she made it to the gate. Now she was close enough to see Daidouji's eyes, which held a familiar haunted look to them. The emerald-eyed girl standing quietly next to her also had eyes that spoke of emotional pain.

* * *

A giant serpent rushed for Sakura, mouth wide open and ready to swallow her whole. She leapt back and called out, "LOOP!"

The serpent's head disappeared, only to reappear swallowing its own tail.

Syaoran grimaced at her tactic to defeat the creature, while Naoko scribbled into the open book she held, and what she wrote became real.

A green giant with a hooked nose jumped out of the trees, arm raised to punch the sorceress.

"Sword!" Sakura cried out and slashed the beast's arm off. She was dismayed to see that not only did the monster grow its arm back, the severed arm quickly formed into another monster.

The two beasts pressed the attack and Sakura took to the air with The Fly to avoid their angry swings.

"Mist!" Sakura intoned. She watched morbidly as the trolls howled in pain as the killer fog that was now around them ate away their bodies.

Landing after calling back all her cards except the one Naoko was using, Sakura took a moment to rest.

Syaoran nodded to Naoko, who frowned deeply as she wrote the next challenge.

Bone hands burst from the ground. In moments dozens of mostly decayed bodies emerged, all shambling towards Sakura.

The sorceress's eyes dilated seeing the unspeakable horrors march toward her. Their vacant eyes speaking only of death. The wretched smell of spoiled human flesh. The claw-like bones reaching for her. She let out a terrified scream and the area was bathed in the power of The Light.

Naoko dropped the book, which closed as it landed on the ground, returning to a card and flew back to its mistress. "I can't see!"

"Relax and close your eyes," Syaoran advised. "It should only be temporary."

True to his words, when Naoko blinked her eyes open a moment later, she saw blurry shapes. As her eyes continued to adjust, one large blur solidified into Syaoran holding Sakura's unconscious body. She sighed. "Guess she's still not ready for the real thing."

"She will need to be." Syaoran held her tighter to his chest.

* * *

As much as Tomoyo would've like to watch and record Sakura's training, it was best that she didn't. Sakura wasn't just struggling to make herself stronger, she was also working to give herself a different style of fighting in order to lessen the value of many of the tapes the enemy had stolen.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door. "Enter."

"Excuse me, Daidouji-hime, but there is something that must be addressed," intone a woman in a business suit as she entered the bedroom.

Tomoyo frowned. "What is it, Ishida-san?"

The lawyer held out a file. "I'm afraid there may be more issues than just testifying against Satome."

"Oh?" Tomoyo flipped through the file and did not like what she saw. "I might be arrested?"

"And sued for monetary damages," Ishida added in bland tone. "The amount of guilt determined by the judges will greatly affect how much can legally be leveled against you."

Tomoyo set the file down and looked across the room at a half-finished battle costume for Sakura. "Perhaps it would've been better if he had been killed."

"Isn't Kinomoto-hime against such a thing?" Ishida wondered.

"Sakura-chan was against hurting others." Tomoyo looked down as tears welled up in her eyes. "That is no longer the case. In her anger she allowed Satome to be castrated. That was something that would've been unthinkable just months ago."

"We still need to address how we will defend the legal actions forming against you," Ishida reminded.

Tomoyo clenched her fist. "Perhaps it's time for me to lose my innocence."

Ishida looked confused. "I don't follow."

"It's best that you don't," Tomoyo told her with a strange firmness to her voice.

* * *

"Hello, Satome-kun, I am here to defend your case," Hitane greeted after the police left the boy in an interrogation room with him. "With your help I can prove your innocence."

Satome stared at the man for a moment. "How can you 'prove' a lie?"

"I'm a lawyer. We make lying into a profession." Hitane smirked. "Now in what way is proclaiming your innocence a lie?"

Satome looked straight at the lawyer. "I punched Daidouji in the face, dragged her to a love motel, stripped her naked and tied her up and was going to rape her before Kinomoto broke the door open and kicked me across the room before Daidouji got free, broke a mirror and... hurt me."

"Kinomoto? Who is Kinomoto?" Hitane questioned.

"Daidouji's best friend and the girl I wanted to hurt the most," Satome replied.

"According to the police, it was Daidouji's bodyguards that saved her, not Kinomoto," Hitane pointed out.

Satome shrugged. "Not surprised. There's something weird about Kinomoto. And I don't mean her boyfriend and his cousin being marital arts masters. When I tried to rape her, some scarred guy in black came out of nowhere telling me if I hated her I should kill her. He broke my hand. Then there was the plane in the aviary, yet I never saw a scrap of metal or smelled smoke. Not to mention the whole situation with Ichimai's poltergeist at school."

Hitane frowned. "It has been a long time since mysticism was a defense in court."

Satome folded his arms. "I'm not saying it is. I intended to rape Kinomoto and Daidouji, only I was stopped every time I tried."

"Are you suggesting we take a plea deal to minimize your punishment?" Hitane questioned cautiously.

"How much am I looking at so far?" Satome wondered.

"A boarding school that's more a juvenile detention center than a school if you're lucky. If Kanzaki Mashiro's claim of rape sticks, you may be sentenced as an adult," Hitane told him.

"I'll take any offer that keeps me away from my mother until I'm twenty," Satome told him seriously. "Even if it means confirming I raped Kanzaki, or the other seven girls."

Hitane blinked. "Seven?" He then gazed closer at the boy. "Why do you want to be away from your mother?"

"She will kill me once she learns I'm guilty," Satome stated in a deadly serious tone.

Hitane laughed. "I've heard that sort of thing before."

"Mom put me in the hospital eight times for a total of fifteen broken bones among other injuries, all because I was a boy." Satome thumped his chest. "Mother never wanted me. The man who grabbed her and left me in her was never arrested. She has only viewed me as a reminder."

Hitane glanced nervously at the mirror. "I will see what I can do." He got up and went to the door. "I will call an officer to get you." He immediately went to the next room. He was not surprised to see the boy's mother looking extremely feral. Even if Satome lied about being abused, learning your son was a rapist would upset any parent. And she had been here to make sure the prosecuting attorney for his case didn't try to spy on them. "What are you going to do?"

Himiko glared at him. "He is no son of mine!" She stormed out of the observation room.

Hitane sighed. "Time to see if the prosecutor will agree to at least a five year jail sentence."

* * *

"I'm back," a seemingly disembodied voice spoke.

Tomoyo glanced at the man hiding in a shadowy corner, wondering when her bedroom had become her office. "Hello, Kurogane-san. Did you learn anything?"

"Li Yelan knows more than she told me. However, I am reasonably sure that neither she nor her daughters are behind the attacks on Kinomoto." Kurogane smirked. "While I was given a few possibilities of why the attacks have occurred, she largely confirmed your suspicion but did not know the reasons for the attacks."

Tomoyo appraised the man. His eyes shifted a tad more than they had the last time they talked and his smirk wasn't as pronounced. "There's something you're not telling me."

Kurogane growled. "Nothing that concerns you."

"Is that really the case?" Tomoyo pressed.

"Li Yelan is precognitive. She mentioned some things about my future," Kurogane grumbled.

Tomoyo turned away. "What she said won't interfere with your mission, will it?"

"No," Kurogane barked. "What happened to your face?"

Tomoyo sighed. "Do you have any more leads?"

"No, I don't. I will remain in the area awaiting the next attack to see if I can learn anything." Kurogane's eyes remained fixed on her.

"I have a... request for you," Tomoyo's voice wavered. "The assassin that attacked Sakura-chan is in Tokyo Central Jail. Despite his profession of ignorance, I suspect he knew more than he would tell us."

Kurogane folded his arms. "I guess I could be arrested for carrying around a real sword."

Tomoyo bowed her head. Suspecting the man would not leave until she told him about her injury or made it clear she would not talk about it. However, there was one more part of her request, one that would force her to explain why she wanted it done. Yet, for some reason, she didn't want to tell him. As she opened her mouth to tell him, she felt as if Satome's filth was burying her.

Kurogane listened with gritted teeth. He was strangely disheartened by the final part of the girl's request, but he was not surprised. He did not immediately answer her, remembering one of Li Yelan's prophecies for him. "I will not charge you more. Instead I will need a favor from you. Your nose will be healed in a month?"

Tomoyo nodded slowly. "Hopefully, though it may not look the way it had before. What is the favor?"

Kurogane looked away, blushing deeply. "There is a formal ball in a month. In order to get in... I need a date."

Tomoyo pouted. "Why would you want to attend?"

"Rather not say." Without another word, he was gone.

Tomoyo went to the window the dark man had used to escape. She could guess what a mercenary-for-hire might need to do at a formal ball. Considering her dark request, she had no right to deny him his. Yet, for some reason, being asked seemed less like he was asking her to be an accomplice, but as an honest date.

* * *

Meiling scowled at the couple sitting on the couch. There was a tangible wall between them. A month ago, it had been fun teasing them as sex between them was a matter of being alone and in the mood. Now, thanks to what Satome tried to do to Daidouji, even a kiss between them lacked the passion it once had. It was as if the honeymoon was over and they were now a boring old married couple.

"Is there something you want, Meiling-chan?" Sakura asked while squinting at her textbook.

"Satome never being born," Meiling muttered under her breath.

"Join the club," Syaoran snorted.

Sakura bowed her head. "Can we not talk about him?"

"Maybe we should." Meiling walked around the couch to face the couple. "Yes, Satome hurt Daidouji. Yes, you got REALLY angry at him and made him a girl. But you saved Daidouji. You kept her safe."

"I was the one who put her in danger. I should've known Satome was walking towards me," Sakura retorted bitterly.

"You were distracted. No one expects you to be on guard all the time. It was an accident that I escalated. If I had just let Satome punch me, nothing more would've been made of it," Syaoran grumbled.

"Maybe, maybe not." Sakura looked away. "But I had other chances to stop Satome. He... he molested me while you were in Hong Kong. If the assassin I fought wasn't against rape, Satome would've done that to me then. I never reported it to the school." She bit back a sob. "I had the proof bruised onto my chest. And if I had told you before...."

"He wouldn't be alive to hurt Daidouji," Syaoran growled out dangerously. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because of what you just said!" Sakura cried out. "Satome should've learned his lesson from his hand. I hoped he would have. He... I..."

Syaoran pulled his girlfriend into a hug as she began to sob uncontrollably.

"I never wanted to hurt anyone! I was so angry! I would've done it myself if Mirror hadn't!" Sakura bemoaned.

"Shhhh..." Syaoran breathed into her ear. "It's all right. It's okay."

"It's not okay!" Sakura protested. "I made sure Satome will never have kids! I hurt him bad!"

"He doesn't deserve the right!" Meiling shot at her. "Have you heard the rumors? There were two or three girls at our school that he may have raped. And who is to say about girls not from our school? He might be a father by a girl who doesn't even know his name! Just a face in her nightmares! What you did to Satome might not have been 'right,' but it is damn well what he deserved!"

Sakura began to cry so hard, she could no longer speak. It seemed impossible, but her tears intensified when Syaoran added to his soothing words, "I still love you."

* * *

"Am I not supposed to have legal council present when I talk to you?" intoned the scarred assassin as he glared at his prosecuting attorney from his cell in solitary confinement.

"This is not the sort of thing a defense attorney should be around for." Himiko glared at the man. "Ryuji Akuma, would you happen to know how my son broke his hand a few months ago?"

Akuma just looked at her evenly.

"My son... was attacking some girl by the name of Kinomoto when he was attacked by a man with a scarred face," Himiko pressed.

"Do you wish to add assault charges to the three counts of murder that you are trying to pin on me?" Akuma groused.

"It depends." Himiko shrugged in an odd manner. "I might be a bit forgetful to use information supplied by private investigators. There's some damning evidence they've dug up."

Akuma leveled a gaze at the woman. "If you're asking if I noticed your son has a room down the hall, it is possible that I have. I take it he did not learn his lesson."

Himiko nodded. "He did not. He has hurt girls in unspeakable manners."

Akuma leaned back on his bed. "And the fact if your son is found guilty of rape and assault, it would be a serious detriment to your career in prosecuting sexual predators."

Himiko turned away. "It would be... an issue."

"And I suppose the fact the boy had bruises the size of your fists doesn't factor into this either?" Akuma sneered.

Himiko's look promised death.

"I do believe we are in understanding." Akuma turned around. "Allow me to be released from solitary and I will see about your... 'problem.'"

* * *

"You seem to be in a better mood," Yue said gruffly.

Sakura wondered why it sounded like her guardian wasn't happy about that, even as she sat cross-legged in Yukito's backyard concentrating on her magic. "I had a good cry."

Yue gazed at her with a blank look. "How can a cry be good?"

Sakura fought the urge to shrug. "I was letting things build up inside. I needed to let it out."

"Did the brat make you cry?" Touya groused from behind the girl.

"Syaoran-kun is not a brat, and no he didn't." Sakura pouted. "Meiling-chan got me to cry for my own good." She then smirked. "My boyfriend was a good pillow to cry on, though."

Touya growled angrily and stomped away.

There was a slight rise on the edges of Yue's lips. "You must be in a good mood to tease your brother."

Sakura nodded.

Yue folded his arms. "Unfortunately, it's having a detriment to you focusing your magic."

"Sorry." Sakura closed her eyes as she focused on her task, the smile on her lips fading.

Yue nodded. "Good. Focus and refine your energy. Make the cards an extension of you."

Without a word The Flower sprang forth and danced around Yue, imparting flowers into his hair.

Yue glared. "Tell me that was not your order."

Sakura opened her eyes and broke into a fit of giggles. "Sorry. I only focused on giving her power to manifest."

Despite the guardian yanking the flowers from his hair, his smile was almost visible to even those who didn't know him.

* * *

The large building looked clean and orderly, but that was a deception. Every minute was a fight between those who lived here and the ones that kept them there. Japan may have one of the strictest prison systems in the world, but those who fought against orderly life chaff under the oppressive control.

Kurogane was thankful this 'visit' would only last the weekend. That once the courts open Monday morning, he would be free once again. He was thankful the sword they confiscated was a cheap practice one. He doubted he would see that blade again.

The dinner being served left much to be desired. At least it allowed Kurogane talk to the prisoners.

"I hear you've been asking some questions," intoned a scarred-faced man.

Kurogane scowled. "Hello, Ryuji. How's your back?"

Akuma returned the glare. "That scar still itches. I suppose you are here for me, are you not?"

"Partially," Kurogane replied simply.

"I assume you've been hired to deal with Kinomoto's attacker." Akuma folded his arms. "As I told her cousin, I do not have any information to share."

"Do you have any of letters from when you were hired?" Kurogane questioned.

"Do I look like an amateur? Those were burned immediately." Akuma paused. "I do have some of his pay, I'll help you get it if you help me with a little task. One, I suspect, you've already been charged to do."

Kurogane folded his arms. "Right."

* * *

Tomoyo appraised the courthouse with a sense of dread as she approached it. Today was to be a preliminary hearing to set the charges against Satome and the date for his trial to begin.

"Daidouji Tomoyo," a smartly dressed woman intoned. "I am Satome Himiko."

Tomoyo bowed her head. "Hello."

"I'm afraid there will be no trial for you to go to." Himiko looked away. "My son was found dead in his cell yesterday morning. It appears he committed suicide."

Tomoyo sighed. "So, this is the end of it."

Himiko loomed over the girl. "There is still the matter of your attack on my son and the... damages you caused."

"I suppose you could still pursue that avenue." Tomoyo cast a hard gaze through the woman. "And I suppose I could present information to the police that you made a deal with Ryuji Akuma to have your own son killed. Then there's the fact that I could inform the media to what your son tried to do to me and what he has done to other girls. It would reflect rather poorly on a prosecuting attorney who has fought against sexual predators so vigorously that her own son was a serial rapist."

Himiko's mouth hung agape in shock.

"This will be the end of any legal issues, or I will drag you down with me," Tomoyo intoned coldly. "Good-bye, Satome-san. I hope we never meet again."

Himiko whirled around and stomped into the courthouse.

Sonomi gazed at her daughter. "I don't know if I should be upset at you or proud of you."

Tomoyo didn't look at her mother as she entered the family limousine. "I think I might prefer you being upset."

"Did you have a hand in what happened to Satome?" Sonomi whispered, following the girl into car.

"I did not offer restrictions to the favor I asked for," Tomoyo replied quietly. "I sent Kurogane to make sure no legal action would be cast against me. If I was arrested, Sakura-chan might confess."

"She would." Sonomi frowned. "And Kurogane does not strike me as being... subtle. You knew sending him was a death sentence."

Tomoyo nodded. "I still had hope."

"I'll make sure the woman pays for what has happened," Sonomi vowed.

"Don't," Tomoyo stated firmly. "She will have to live with her pain. I would rather have her fighting against horrible men than sit alone in her home." She then sighed. "I will have to forward information to the defense attorney that the assassin had broke Satome's hand, making his mother unable to 'defend' him."

Sonomi grabbed her daughter's hand. "At least I know that you are my daughter. Our businesses will be safe with you."

* * *

Author's Notes:

Coming Next:  
Chapter 20 - Sakura and the Summer Festival It's time for fun and dating at the Summer Festival.

This omake was originally written shortly after watching Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles - Tokyo Revelation OAV.

* * *

Irony was a strange thing. The living had nothing to fear from the dead that failed to move on, while the dead had everything to fear.

And the strangest thing was, when I was alive I had been very afraid of ghosts, but now that I was one there was no fear left in me. Only worry for this world that should've never been.

I wish I could see my reflection, but I am invisible to even my own eyes.

Looking about the dead world where monsters roamed free and humans huddled in small sanctuaries, I couldn't help but think this world should have never been.

Even when I was alive, I felt as if something was wrong. It never ceased to hurt me when I thought my own mother should be dead. I loved my mother, I truly had. Yet when I saw my mother cooking dinner upon my return from school, I would sometimes see my mother's photo on the table and either my brother or father cooking. When that feeling of wrongness was at it's worse, I would clutch onto my mother wondering how having this wonderful woman in my life could be wrong.

There were days when things seemed to particularly off.

Arriving home at the start of fourth grade and finding no one there. I felt as if something should happen, yet nothing did. Still something drew me to the basement where my father kept his books. I was found sobbing on the floor, and I still don't know why.

Seeing my brother go out on dates with girls bugged me for reasons I couldn't name. It wasn't that none of his girlfriends lasted more than a month, though I didn't particularly like that. In my mind I knew there was supposed to be a special person for my brother, but somehow that person didn't exist.

In July of that year, I broke down crying at the start of school. Someone was supposed to have come to the school that day. I knew he was supposed to come, a special person who would become a large part of her life. I didn't know how I knew, I just did.

When Mizuki-sensei became my new mathematics teacher, she shared the sense of that this world wasn't the 'right one.' I quickly learned that my brother rekindled a romance with her, seeking in each other something that had been lost to them without them ever having it.

Then one day Mizuki-sensei looked out the window and in the middle of class announced, "It is time."

I nodded while squeezing my eyes shut. Death came quickly, but it still hurt.

When I opened my eyes, Mizuki-sensei stood before me floating in mid-air. The school, and everyone else in my class, was gone.

Somehow they were able to pass on, but something held me to the land of the living. If you could call this place alive. The world's destruction seemed to answer the question I had never been able to form. This horribly destiny for this world prevented me from finding my fate. This world should've never been and I was just an echo of a girl that should've been so much more.

Unlike Mizuki-sensei, my brother and the other ghosts I've met after Tokyo was destroyed, I am not bound to the places I visited often in life. I've spent my days since my death trying to help other ghosts move on. I even found a way for my brother and Mizuki-sensei to find their rest, by getting them to meet at the shrine during the full moon. I spent a lot of time reuniting people with the people or things they loved in life.

Yet I remained alone. I do not know any other person in this world anymore, alive or dead.

Still, I have something of a job helping others. Running through the barren lands that used to be a city that held millions of people, I try to find something of interest to deal with the boredom of afterlife.

I stop upon seeing a strangely familiar looking girl. The blood covering her did not prevent me from realizing this girl was another me. There was a connection beyond being of a similar soul. That she too is an echo of a different, more important, Sakura.

I smile at finding a kindred person, knowing I can help her with her problem. She needs to go to her loved ones, and I have learned how to find the path to the one a person most desires to see. It helps that she can see me. It makes guiding her so much easier.

When the other Sakura came into sight of her friends, they immediately rushed to her. I knew that she would be all right. That she would heal.

I smile at the scene. The gentle words and touches they shared. Something I would never experience again.

My eyes fall upon on the boy with them. There was something strange about the way he looked at the other Sakura. It was as if he didn't want to be worried about her, yet he was. And his name, Syaoran, seemed to echo within me.

I follow them and watch as Sakura and her friends give new hope to the survivors of this horrid world. Yet my eyes keep going to the boy, to Syaoran. And then they left, going to a new world.

I didn't want them to go. I wanted to see more of this Syaoran. There was something... special about him.

Maybe that Syaoran was the beloved of the other Sakura? What if the boy that I should've met on that July morning was _my_ Syaoran? The one I am supposed to be with.

I look down and see that which I never noticed before. My own red thread going off into the distance to the west. I smile at this. At the other end was the beloved I never got to meet, but now I could. I don't care if he's alive or a ghost like I am. With him I might finally be whole and be able to find the peace I have lacked since before my death.


	20. Summer Sports Festival for Sakura

"Whose bright idea was it to have the sport's festival right after summer break?" Meiling groused.

"Usually clubs start preparations for the festival during the break," one cheerleader commented.

"Would've been nice knowing about that ahead of time," Meiling shot back.

"At least we only have to put a presentation together," Sakura reminded. "And we would've had a difficult time meeting over the break."

"Maybe you two would've had issues," the cheerleader snapped back.

"That's enough," Meiling growled. "Don't take your inability to do a back-flip by yourself out on me. We've still got two more days to get it right."

"What you want us to do is ridiculous," she snarled back. "We're cheerleaders, not gymnasts!"

"I'm asking for a simple fucking back-flip. If you can't do it, then you can sit out the routine." Meiling turned and stomped away. The cheerleader did the same, after deciding it healthier to not try to get the last word in.

"Li-chan isn't good with pressure, is she?" another cheerleader commented.

Sakura laughed nervously. "I guess you could put it like that."

"Now can you tell us what is really going on?" she pressed.

"Huh? Wha?" Sakura took a step back, and found herself surrounded.

"There's been all sorts of rumors about you!" "Did Satome rape you?" "Did you sleep with those boys?" "How good is Li-kun in bed?"

Sakura glanced around looking for an exit and found none. "Ah... no."

"No, what?" was pressed.

"Satome never got that far. And I know it might be hard to believe but it wasn't me with those boys," Sakura tried to explain.

"Then who was?"  
"Were you really possessed by Reiko's ghost?"

"I can't really answer that..." Sakura looked away. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told the truth."

"Fine. But how good is Li-kun?"  
"Yeah, he must be good, right?"

Sakura blushed intensely. "Ah... We haven't done THAT yet."

"Why not?" was chorused.

Sakura looked down. "I was going to... then Tomoyo-chan was attacked."

"Oh..." came from the group, who took a moment to think over that reply.

Sakura took the opportunity to break past a couple girls and run off.

* * *

**Card Captor Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 20: Summer Sports Festival for Sakura**

_By: Lord Archive_

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

Author's Warnings:

This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Shinji arrived at the appointed meeting place, and nervously greeted, "Hi." His unease had less to do with this being the long promised date, than with the fact that all of Naoko's friends were here except for Sasaki.

Various greetings were returned, the most excited one coming from Naoko.

"So, is this really going to be a group deal?" Shinji wondered.

"For a bit, then we'll go to our clubs after the 'Couples Three Legged Race,'" Sakura replied.

Shinji was thankful he was a 'member' of the manga club. While they could've put on an exhibition, the ones in charge were too lazy to do anything, especially for a sport's festival. "Glad I didn't sign up for that."

Naoko nodded.

Takashi smirked. "You might not have, but I put you two on the list."

"WHAT?!" Naoko and Shinji cried out together.

"It's my responsibility as classroom rep to select the couples to represent our class. While Li and Kinomoto along with me and Chiharu were a given, I still needed at least two more couples," Takashi explained devilishly. "We have to uphold the tradition, after all."

"Tradition?" Sakura wondered.

"The three-legged race has been a time honored tradition for couples to see if they will have long and fruitful lives together since it began in the ancient Greek Olympics. The winning couple can be sure to have a happy life together, while those who don't finish will fail to marry," Takashi told them.

Chiharu rubbed her forehead. "I know this is a lie. The original Olympics were men only, and they competed nude."

"Thank goodness," Naoko commented. "I doubt we'd finish with four left feet."

That brought a bit of laughter.

"Who's the fourth couple?" Sakura wondered.

"I would've had Meiling with her latest boyfriend, but I wasn't sure which guy she was dating this week," Takashi joked.

"Ha. Ha," Meiling deadpanned. "So, I've went out with five guys in the last couple months. Big deal. Besides, Hinagashi is in senior high and he isn't coming today."

"It's Gotoh and Misora, right?" Tomoyo guessed.

"Of course," Chiharu replied. "They're practically joined at the hip."

Sakura blushed a little. "Do you really think they've gone that far?"

Chiharu shrugged. "Probably."

"What's got you so embarrassed about that?" Shinji asked Kinomoto.

Sakura's blush deepened, while Syaoran glared at him.

"Don't believe the rumors," Meiling advised. "The truth is far stranger, though."

"Hard not to believe what the jocks have said." Shinji folded his arms. "It makes more sense than the ghost possession story."

"When will people forget about this?" Sakura bemoaned.

"Unfortunately it won't go away until someone else does something major to attract people's attention." Tomoyo sighed regretfully.

"You all know what really happened, don't you?" Shinji growled.

"Yes, but it's nothing we can talk about." Naoko grabbed his hand. "It would cause too much trouble if people learned the real truth. I don't fancy being carted off to some crappy school filled with trouble makers."

Shinji's eyes widened. "You'd get in that much trouble?"

Tomoyo looked at the boy with soulless eyes. "Some of us would be in far worse trouble than Naoko-chan."

* * *

A young girl's eyes widened as she spotted one of her teachers. "Yuki-chan, Terada-sensei is here!"

Yuki shook her head at her younger friend. "I thought we were here to see Hayabusa-san play soccer, Shiori-chan."

"Who needs to watch my sister?" Shiori shot back. "Especially when I can see my beloved!"

Yuki rolled her eyes, yet followed behind her friend who made a beeline for the elementary gym teacher.

Just as Shiori got to the table, a pamphlet was shoved into her face. "Here you go. Now run along."

Shiori glared at the junior high girl who did that, before smiling at the man next to her. "Hello, Terada-sensei! I didn't think you were going to be here today!"

"Ah, Hayabusa-chan, enjoy your day," Terada greeted her briefly before turning to greet other new arrivals at the festival.

"Welcome to the Sport's Festival, enjoy your time here." Rika smiled at Yuki sweetly, causing the young girl to blink.

"How long will you be here?" Shiori questioned.

"Can't say for sure," Terada replied off-handedly as he continued to talk to other incoming guests.

"Excuse me, but perhaps you might know if Terada-sensei has a girlfriend?" Yuki asked.

"I believe he's engaged," Rika replied knowingly.

"Now, Sasaki, it's not nice to talk about a teacher's personal life," Terada admonished.

"Engaged?!" Shiori cried out.

"Now, Hayabusa, run along. I need to greet everyone," Terada told her with a gentle smile.

Yuki pulled her friend away. "Remember, we're here for your sister. You can make eyes at him on Monday."

* * *

"This is stupid," Shinji grumbled as a teacher was tying his leg to Naoko's.

"It's only a race," Naoko reminded even as she fidgeted. "A victory for us is to finish it."

"Especially going up against Kinomoto and Li," Shinji groused. "We don't stand a chance."

"You're set. Go to the starting line," the teacher advised.

Shinji could tell he wasn't the only one getting tense. Most of the couples were holding hands. From the look of Li's fingers, Kinomoto was gripping his fingers as tightly as Naoko held his. He wondered what she could be nervous about, but didn't have a chance to voice it.

"Couples get on your mark! Get set! Go!"

There was little surprise that Naoko and Shinji tripped only a few steps from the starting line. Though more amazingly to the boy, Kinomoto dragged Li down not much farther ahead from them. That gave Yamazaki and his wife a slight lead over a couple from another class.

"Lift your leg, stay limp, and lean on me," Li ordered his girlfriend.

Without protest, Kinomoto lifted her free leg and Li awkwardly raced ahead with her.

They at least weren't the only ones having issues running. Other couples were also tripping over each other. Still they tried to press on until Naoko whelped in pain when she fell down, but he had not. Her ankle wrenched in the bindings. Shinji immediately went to untie their bonds.

The school nurse moved quickly to check the ankle. Poking and prodding it, yet not producing much of a reaction from the girl. "It's just a little pulled. I'll wrap it up for you. Just stay off of it as much as you can today and it should be perfectly fine."

"Thank you." Naoko glanced over while her ankle was being bandaged. "Guess we failed."

Shinji shook his head. "Hope this doesn't relate to Yamazaki-kun's story."

Naoko pouted. "Looks like they came in second. And Sakura-chan only managed fourth."

"That's not a bad result with so many, especially after Kinomoto fell," Shinji pointed out.

"Naoko-chan, are you okay?" Sakura fretted as she approached with the others.

"I'm fine. It's not even twisted." Naoko waved her friends off. "I don't have anything to compete in, so there's nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" Chiharu wondered.

"She's fine," the nurse told them. "She'll just be getting more three-legged practice with her boyfriend. You're all set."

The nurse received numerous thanks before she moved to check to see if anyone else might need her.

"Go on ahead to your clubs, I can help Asaba-kun with Naoko-chan," Tomoyo assured her friends.

"Are you sure?" Chiharu asked.

"Positive." Tomoyo nodded and then joked, "I might end up being unwanted help before long."

With a round of good-byes, Shinji found himself with an extra girl on his promised date. Not that would be an issue, except he had hoped to have some personal time with his girlfriend.

Tomoyo giggled. "Here I thought you'd enjoy dating two girls at the same time."

"Guess I'm not the two-timing sort of guy." Shinji laughed nervously.

Naoko smiled knowingly. "He'd rather be sneaking off somewhere quiet, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you joined in."

Shinji smirked. "Well, I am a guy."

Tomoyo looked at them closely. "I thought you had only gone as far as kissing."

"So far," Naoko replied causing Shinji to blush deeply.

"Do try not to rush things," Tomoyo advised. "Asaba-kun certainly seems to be in a hurry for everything."

"What do you mean by that?" Shinji asked with an edge.

"Well, mostly I'm talking about our secrets," Tomoyo replied neutrally. "I can certainly understand that you want to know to the truth, but it's not something we can easily confide in."

Shinji huffed. "It's annoying being the third wheel when you avoid talking about stuff because I'm around."

"I certainly know the feeling there when I'm the only one without a date on Sunday," Tomoyo returned. "However, the issue is that each of us harbors a different secret. If my secret became known, I would lose the most important thing to me, but nothing would directly happen to Naoko-chan."

Naoko frowned. "I don't even know what your secret is, yet you hold the rest of us hostage."

"Would you prefer what Li-kun would have to do or Sakura-chan's method?" Tomoyo returned.

Naoko pouted. "No. It is better this way."

Shinji folded his arms. "Are you threatening her?"

"Not her specifically," Naoko quickly defended. "If I was to break trust, any of the others could expose my secret just as easily."

"It's really more insurance." Tomoyo sighed. "I hope I'm never in a position I'd need to use the secrets I hold as weapons. While our friendship predates our secrets, Naoko-chan has become a closer friend after learning a secret that has been kept from her since fourth grade."

Shinji glared. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"So you can understand better why we haven't told you anything yet. We kept Naoko-chan in the dark for years, so you can hardly expect us to open up to you in only a couple months," Tomoyo pointed out. "Besides, you're wonderfully boring in not having any major secret."

"Excuse me for not wanting to disturb the petals," Shinji groused.

"Don't knock being boring," Naoko told him. "There's a reason why 'may you live an interesting life' is a curse."

Shinji didn't need to be asked what his girlfriend meant, considering that while Daidouji had stopped wearing her plastic mask, her slightly bent nose was an unwanted reminder that she had nearly been raped. And strange as it sounded to him, it seemed that the one with the curse was Kinomoto and Daidouji had been caught in the backwash.

"Now how is the ankle?" Tomoyo asked.

Naoko put a little pressure on it. "Tender, but it doesn't really hurt."

Tomoyo nodded. She then leaned toward the boy and whispered. "Perhaps one day you will learn the secrets. For now a test. Don't let even Naoko-chan know. I really am a lesbian and I'm in love with Sakura-chan."

Shinji blinked and then scowled. "That's supposed to be a secret?"

Tomoyo smiled at him. "To the ones who must not know, it is."

Shinji shook his head.

Naoko looked confused as Tomoyo walked off. "What did she say?"

"Not going to say," Shinji replied bluntly.

* * *

"Where's your partner in crime?"

Sakura turned around and looked strangely at a mop of long brown hair framing a rather boyish face before realization dawn on her. "Hooooeee?! Ah, hello, Yuki-chan. It's, ah, been a while."

Yuki smirked. "Didn't think I'd meet you unless you were stealing a painting."

Sakura waved her hands wildly. "I wasn't stealing anything!"

"What's going on?" Meiling grumbled.

Sakura laughed sheepishly. "You remember Tomoyo-chan's movies where I, ah, pretended to rob a museum...?"

"Ah, the unintended extra," Meiling groused. "What brings you here?"

"I'm supposed to be here to help Shiori-chan root for her sister, but she would rather drool over Terada-sensei," Yuki complained. "I don't know why she's so blindly obsessive. There's no way she can win him over."

"Love makes us all fools." Meiling pointed at the emerald-eyed girl. "Some just play the part of the fool better."

"Meiling-chan!" Sakura whined.

Yuki laughed.

"So, um, what have you been doing?" Sakura wondered.

"Besides being dragged around on Shiori-chan's hairbrained adventures, painting of course," Yuki joked. "I can't let my father's legacy end."

Sakura smiled knowingly. "So, you do at least understand where your friend is coming from."

Yuki nodded. "Yeah, even if her heart is misplaced."

"Hey, captain," a cheerleader snipped.

Meiling glanced over. "Right. It's time to get to your places girls!"

"Bye!" Sakura waved before joining her team.

Yuki walked over to her friend and frowned as while Terada was not at the greeting station, he was still doing volunteer work with the same junior high girl he worked with before. She had felt Shiori's crush was a lost cause due to their ages, but it would appear now that the issue might have had more to do with Shiori being too late.

"Isn't he dreamy?" Shiori sighed wistfully.

"Let's watch the cheerleaders," Yuki suggested.

Shiori pouted at her friend. "Why do you rather look at girls? Guys are so much better!"

"There's nothing wrong with guys." Yuki folded her arms. "Girls are just nicer to look at."

"Lesbo," Shiori shot at her friend.

"Lolita," Yuki returned. "I even know one of the cheerleaders. And I really want to watch her."

Shiori folded her arms. "Bet you have no chance with her."

"Probably better than you do with Terada-sensei." Yuki blinked as she spotted someone in the stands. "Besides, her friend is better looking. Let's go!" She grabbed Shiori's hand dragging her towards the bleachers.

Tomoyo glanced at the pair of girls. She recognized the girl being pulled as Rika's 'rival' for Terada first, but then her eyes widened as she placed the other girl. "Yuki-chan! Hello! How goes your painting?"

Shiori blinked. "You know her?"

"We met in passing," both Yuki and Tomoyo replied at the same time, before breaking into giggles.

Tomoyo motioned for them to sit next to her. "You're in time to watch Sakura-chan and Meiling-chan put on an amazing performance!" She pulled out her camera and began to check it over. "Is it wise to have such long hair when you paint so often?"

Yuki blinked and looked at the ends of her hair, seeing multi-color specks of paint. She then laughed. "My hair is the only part of me that shows that I'm a girl. In sixth grade and still no chest."

Shiori pouted. "At least you should get one soon. Terada-sensei might notice me better if I wasn't only in fourth grade."

Tomoyo smiled knowingly. "It is the person, not the body, that matters to Terada-sensei." She almost said more, but that could be dangerous, especially as she had to turn her camera on as the cheerleader squad was taking to the field.

* * *

Shinji loved how his girlfriend leaned against him, his tongue deep in her mouth and his hand under her skirt. He tried to reach and touch her as no man had done before, but he had to settle for fondling her rear underneath her panties. She offered no protest to his touch. She was even goading him on, grinding her hips against his.

It seemed like forever before they broke off their kiss. They panted for breath before going in for more. As much as they wanted to continue, a darken corner of the school was not the best place to go any farther.

"I can't wait for our next date," Shinji whispered huskily.

"I'm sure you can't." Naoko patted the front of his pants. "But this will stay covered."

"Naoko-chan..." Shinji whined.

Naoko pouted at him. "I like you, Shinji-kun, but I don't want to rush into anything." She then smiled shyly. "Perhaps next time I'll go topless."

Shinji frowned. "I'm not really into breasts. I'm more interested in this." He grabbed her rear again.

Naoko tilted her head in thought. "We'll see about that some day, but not just yet." She gave him a quick kiss. "I'll let you know when I'm ready."

Shinji shook his head. "So, what's next on the agenda?"

"I suppose we could catch the end of the exhibition soccer game..." Naoko smiled devilishly. "Then we can end it with dancing!"

Shinji paled. "You know I'm not good with dancing."

"Just the slow ones," Naoko promised. "The ones you can hold me close and not have to move much."

"That does sound better," Shinji laughed sheepishly.

Naoko glanced over. "Wow. Someone is jealous of me."

Shinji turned to look. He spotted a beautiful girl from a different class, who had the strangest look on her face.

* * *

Sakura was quite happy that the cheerleading routine they had performed was the opening act to the soccer game. Unfortunately she wasn't quite sure who to root for. She certainly wanted Syaoran to win, but this game was the boys verses the girls. While she was unfamiliar with the members on the female team, she felt a little bit like a traitor to want her boyfriend to do well.

Through the course of the game, Sakura's friends arrived to watch as well. Even Terada came and sat near Rika, who oddly seemed upset. Though it might have something to do with Yuki's friend constantly trying to talk to the gym teacher.

It became easier to cheer on the girls as the obvious underdogs. Sakura could be proud of Syaoran to have scored a goal, yet encourage the girls to not make the game completely lopsided.

"Go Hayabusa-san!" cried out Yuki.

"Get those boys!" Shiori cheered.

The stands erupted as the girl in question finally got a shot past the goalie.

Meiling growled as the boys quickly returned the favor with their fourth goal. "This is practically insulting. Half the boys are playing sloppy. If it wasn't for the goalie, the score would be a lot closer. Even Syaoran has played better. Gah! The girls aren't much better. Don't run away from him!"

"I doubt Li-kun could play as rough as he usually does," Tomoyo pointed out.

Meiling clenched her fist. "If he played like this against me, I'd kick his ass."

"Go, oneechan!" Shiori cheered.

"She scored again!" Sakura clapped.

"He just stood there?!" Meiling cried out in frustration. "He didn't even try to stop her."

"Are you saying my sister didn't deserve that score?" Shiori yelled.

"She should've had to fight for it," Meiling shot back.

"It wasn't the moving ball he was watching," Yuki added.

Shiori huffed. "Terada-sensei, what do you...?" She blinked. "Where did Terada-sensei go?"

"Maybe off to meet his fiancee," Rika replied with a harsh tone. "I'll be back for the bonfire dance."

Shiori huffed, glaring at girl who was now dashing away. Not pleased with what had been said, her crush disappearing on her, and the game ending with the boys winning.

* * *

As the day came to an end, a large bonfire was set up. The crackling of flames and dancing light brought the remaining attendees together for the final presentation of the day. The dancing club put forward a ballroom dance, complete with ball gowns.

Tomoyo watched them closely. "I'll be doing that next week."

Meiling raised an eyebrow. "Who's your date?"

"You wouldn't know him. He's someone my family is doing business with," Tomoyo replied.

Sakura blinked in surprise. "You've got a date and you didn't tell me?"

"It's a date only in the loosest term of it. I'm going with him to return a favor he did for me, nothing more. There won't be a second date," Tomoyo explained with an even tone.

Sakura took her friend's hands. "Don't say that! He might be good for you. What's he like?"

Tomoyo cocked her head in thought. "Hard to say. He's tall, dark and hansom. We've only talked a couple times, but he doesn't say much. Always straight to business."

"Sounds promising," Chiharu chirped.

Tomoyo glanced at her married friend. "I suppose saying he's older than me doesn't mean much."

"I would say not," Rika added with a smirk. "Give him a shot. Love can be found in the strangest of places."

Tomoyo sighed. "I promise not to dismiss him out of hand, but I seriously don't think anything will become of going to a formal dance with him as a favor."

"You'll have to introduce me to him some time," Sakura announced happily.

Tomoyo shook her head. Then she blinked when a figure stepped forward who was cast in shadow and wearing a baseball cap.

"Would milady like to dance?"

Tomoyo laughed. "Why, certainly, Yuki-'kun.'"

Sakura looked confused as she watched Yuki, with her hair put up into a baseball cap, led Tomoyo to join the increasing number of couples in the ballroom dance. "Ah, Tomoyo-chan, Yuki-chan is a girl..."

Takashi blinked. "That's a girl?"

Rika gazed at Tomoyo's dance partner. "You really don't notice it with her hair up." She then blinked. "Where's her friend?"

Meiling pointed. "I'd say she's hunting for Terada-sensei."

Rika shook her head as she glared at Hayabusa.

"Why is Tomoyo-chan dancing with Yuki-chan?" Sakura wondered.

Shinji and Meiling both looked uncomfortable, while Syaoran looked as confused as Sakura.

"She's just having fun," Takashi put forth. He grabbed his wife's hand. "Perhaps we should all join her. What do you say, 'milady?'"

"Don't step on my feet," Chiharu replied with a smile.

Sakura looked expectantly at her boyfriend, and he stiffened up in response. Mechanically he walked over to her and took her hand, never actually asking her to dance even as he began to guide her.

Shinji pulled at his collar.

Naoko smirked at him. "My ankle isn't up for that movement yet. We'll just keep in simple."

"Sure!" Shinji took his girlfriend's hand and only went to the edge of dance area. He held her close, his arms around her waist as they swayed with the music.

Meiling frowned at being left behind. "Wish Hinagashi was here."

"As I wish I could dance with my beloved as well," Rika added.

Meiling eyed the crowd, noting that Tomoyo and Yuki were hardly the only girls dancing with each other. "Care to pretend I'm your favorite teacher?"

Rika giggled. "I'll try to keep my hands to myself."

* * *

A room filled with ancient books was lit by a television. Excited and cheerful noises came from the speakers, much to the annoyance of the lone occupant.

A cheerleading routine brought an end to the video, once again bringing no useful information. A causal flick of a hand caused the video to eject violently into a pile of broken and discarded tapes. The next tape took flight and inserted itself into the VCR and began to play.

The books remained more interesting to the figure than the video.

"Tomoyo-chan, are you still recording me?!" Sakura's voice echoed over the speaker.

A lazy eye moved to see what caused the outburst. Then interest was solidified. There was more than one way to defeat a person, and this offered an unexpected method.

The scene changed smoothly, showing this was not a raw but a compiled film yet what was shown was much the same. This would hurt the girl far more than any spell ever could.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Chapter 21 - Tomoyo at the Ball  
Kurogane needed Tomoyo to enter a formal dance, but what is his reason to be at the dance?

This extra was intended to have been a scene much earlier. It just didn't fit anywhere. In all probability, this occurred after Tomoyo's videos were stolen and Naoko was helping Sakura to train.

Omake:

There might be better sources of information, but, for Naoko, this was the easiest method of learning what she wanted to know. She had waited a long time for this opportunity, and finally it was hers.

Kero-chan blissfully chopped away at a cookie. As the last piece disappeared he glanced at the girl's expectant face. "You want something?"

Naoko held up another cookie. "Can you tell me why some people can use magic and others can't?"

Kero-chan swiped the treat, devouring it before replying. "Of course I can. Using magic requires the person to have certain traits. If they don't have one, they can't cast spells."

Naoko offered another cookie. "What sort of traits?"

Kero-chan belched bits of that cookie before continuing, "There's the amount of magic stored within the person, the strength of will to bend that magic, and the perception to feel it."

"Does Sakura-chan really have enough will?" Naoko wondered.

Kero-chan laughed. "If Sakura set her heart on something, there is nothing that can stop her. And the depth of her magic is deeper than even Clow Reed. Her perception of the world may not be the greatest, but her magical sight is vast."

Naoko pouted. "Sakura-chan and Li-kun are so strong, why can't Tomoyo-chan or Meiling-chan use magic?"

"Hard to say." Kero-chan tapped its cheek before taking a newly offered cookie. "Tomoyo certainly has the perception to be a good mage, but magically it appears her well is dry. She has no magic to pull upon. As the wench, she's certainly got the will and magic in her blood, but she can't feel the magic to manipulate it. For her to try to cast a spell is like a blind man trying to drive a car."

Naoko held up a box of chocolates. "Could I use magic?"

Kero-chan tried to get at the candy, but the girl pulled it away. It folded its arms and gazed deeply at the girl, glowing slightly. "Will and perception isn't something I can tell easily, but there is a little bit of magic to you. Not much, though. Even if you can feel magic, it could take you years to learn the simplest of spells. You would need outside help to get anywhere."

Naoko opened the box and let the magical creature to take a couple treats. "You mean I'd need a teacher?"

Kero-chan shook its head. "Nah. Even a teacher can't help where talent is thin. You'd need to go somewhere that is thick with magic or use an item that is highly magical. The fact you've used The Create and was drawn to it before Sakura sealed it shows you aren't completely dead to magic."

Naoko pouted. "So you're saying I could fake be a magic-user in the right places?"

"Afraid so." Kero-chan nodded. "I honestly don't know why the wench hasn't been given any magic items to help. They would act as glasses to her, allowing her to get more use out of an artifact than you probably could."


	21. Tomoyo at the Ball

Sakura was tenderly applying some blush to her friend when she suddenly broke into a fit of giggles.

Tomoyo pouted. "What's so funny?"

Sakura smiled cheerfully. "I lost count how many times you've helped get me ready for some event or date and now I'm here helping you." She then frowned. "I just wish I could be around to see your date."

Tomoyo shook her head. "Probably best you didn't. You still have odd ideas about this dance. I'm doing it as a favor, not a date." She then cocked her head. "Though it might not be a bad idea to introduce him to Meiling-chan. He's the kind of guy she would be interested in."

Sakura blinked a few times. "He knows how to fight?"

Tomoyo looked a little surprised. "Yes. I haven't seen him fight, but I've heard he's a master."

"Then you better hold on him tight or Meiling-chan might steal him from you," Sakura pleaded strongly.

"She can have him," Tomoyo asserted.

"And you promised to give him a chance," Sakura returned.

"Fine, fine." Tomoyo sighed.

"Now sit still. This make-up won't put itself on," Sakura commanded.

"Unless you enchant them," Tomoyo joked nervously.

Sakura laughed sheepishly while carefully applying some eyeliner to the girl. "I've tried doing that with cleaning the house. It ended up a lot like that one cartoon: a big mess. Doubt you want to look like a clown."

Tomoyo shared in the laughter.

"You're scared about this, aren't you?" Sakura asked.

"Maybe a little," Tomoyo admitted.

"Don't be," Sakura admonished, pulling out some lipstick and pressing it to the girl's lips. "Remember what you told me before my first date: just be yourself. You want him to like you for who you are. Pretending to be something better won't work as there is no better you than you." She then pouted. "Too bad Yukito thought of it more as taking his little sister out so he could steal more time to see my brother."

Tomoyo giggled before biting down on a cloth to remove excess lipstick. "Well, those 'dates' did help you out with Li-kun, didn't they?"

Sakura nodded. "Took care of most of the first date jitters. Still was nervous as hell on our first official date." She looked at her friend deeply. "It's only natural. Just try to calm down and enjoy yourself."

"Wish you could come with me," Tomoyo muttered.

"That would be a nice pay back since you invited yourself to most of my dates, but I doubt I could sneak in," Sakura replied. "Besides, I already have plans with Syaoran-kun."

Tomoyo pouted. "Sakura's first concert, and I'll miss it."

"I've been to all of yours," Sakura corrected.

"It's not the same as a school concert. There will be a lot more energy!" Tomoyo gazed to the side.

"Don't you dare think about skipping out on your date to video tape me," Sakura ordered.

"I can't back out of this now, and I doubt I'd get any clear video anyway." Tomoyo smiled wryly. "Still tempting."

"You need to go on a first date some day, so you may as well do it today," Sakura pressed.

"Any plans for after the concert?" Tomoyo questioned.

Sakura blushed a little. "No specific plans..."

"Will tonight be the night?" Tomoyo wondered intensely.

Sakura turned away. "I... don't know. Doubt it."

"Oh? Why not?" Tomoyo wondered.

"We're likely to bother Meiling-chan getting to Syaoran-kun's apartment late as it is. I wouldn't want to do THAT with her around," Sakura explained.

Tomoyo nodded, knowing her best friend was going to stay the night with Li in fear of disturbing her father while he was working on some university project. "You don't have to make it back to his apartment..."

Sakura gave her friend a look while blushing badly. "And ask your bodyguards to drop us off at one of those motels?"

"Right, that would get back to mother. Best to use The Silence and The Lock, so Meiling-chan wouldn't have to know," Tomoyo suggested mischievously.

Sakura looked like an overripe tomato. "And have a couple of my cards awake and WATCHING?"

Tomoyo gazed at her friend knowingly. "Is there another reason you're making these excuses?"

Sakura looked away. "You heard what happened with Misora-chan and Gotoh-kun?"

Tomoyo sighed. "It was obviously a mistake for them, or rather for Gotoh-san."

"For him?" Sakura asked in surprise. "Gotoh-kun dumped her after they had sex!"

"Yes, because it scared him," Tomoyo pointed out. "Misora-san doesn't regret what they did. She's only upset because he got scared of what it meant."

"What do you mean?" Sakura pressed.

"What comes after sex?" Tomoyo questioned seriously.

Sakura blinked. "Babies and marriage."

"Right!" Tomoyo pointed at her friend. "And Gotoh-san was not ready for that. For what it means to be a girl's lover. So, he ran from Misora-san once he figured out there's only two ways for them to go: they break up or he spends the rest of his life with her."

Sakura looked away. "What if Syaoran-kun-"

"Don't even think that," Tomoyo chastised. "Would Li-kun really leave you because he was AFRAID?"

"I want to say 'no,' but... I can't help it. That's a big step, you know," Sakura fretted.

"Yes. It is." Tomoyo smiled. "Now that we're done with me. It's time to get you ready. When I'm done with you, Li-kun will never want to let you go."

* * *

**Card Captor Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon **

**Chapter 21: Tomoyo at the Ball **

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

_By: Lord Archive _

Author's Warnings:

This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Hinagashi approached a rather irritable looking Chinese girl. She had beaten him to the appointed spot despite that he had arrived early. He knew how to handle this. "Hey there, Butterfly."

Meiling turned and smiled, her apparent irritation forgotten. "So, what's the big surprise?"

Hinagashi pulled out a pair of tickets. "How about third row to see Tange Sakura live?"

Meiling laughed while holding her forehead. "Wish you had warned me. Then I could've helped Daidouji for her date."

Hinagashi frowned. "But then we'd have trouble getting there on time. The concert is being held at the other side of Tokyo. It'll take a few hours getting there."

Meiling pulled out her cell phone and dialed. "Hey, Kinomoto, how does Daidouji look for her date?"

The boy frowned, wondering if he some how messed up and was in the process of being dumped.

"Yeah, well, guess who'll be sitting right behind you?" Meiling groused.

"Huh?" Hinagashi emitted in confusion

"Yeah. A ride would be better than the subway. We're at Fifth and Juri Lane," Meiling informed and then blinked. "Yeah, see you in a few seconds."

Hinagashi gazed at his date. "What's going on?"

Meiling merely pointed down the street as a limousine turned the corner. Still she said nothing as it pulled up in front of them and a tough looking woman in a business suit exited the front and opened the back door. "Let's go."

The boy was dumbfounded as he was pulled into the stretched car. He sweated a little nervously as he saw the girl's cousin sitting in the back, but then looked in surprise at the cute girl next to him who was wearing a white and pink shirt and skirt that made her look like she should be going on stage as an idol.

"Hinagashi," Syaoran grunted his 'hello.'

The girl blinked a few times as she stared. "Um, hello. I'm Kinomoto Sakura."

"Hinagashi Masuru," the boy replied stiffly.

"Yeah, I know he's not the sort of guy I normally go for, but he knows how to make me feel beautiful," Meiling pseudo-bragged.

Hinagashi slumped. He knew he wasn't the most attractive guy, and that Meiling or her cousin could beat the shit out of him in seconds. Meiling was even a little taller than him despite that he was more than two years older than her.

Sakura let out a nervous giggle. "That's all a girl really wants to feel some times."

Syaoran began to blush and tried to say something but failed.

Hinagashi couldn't hide his smirk. Apparently he was better at something than his girlfriend's first love. "So, did one of you win a contest?"

"Huh?" Sakura emitted.

"Bought the tickets," Syaoran muttered.

"The limo belongs to Daidouji, as in Daidouji Toys Limited, who is her cousin and best friend," Meiling added. "Kinomoto's just borrowing it while Daidouji is on a date."

"I'm surprised that Daidouji didn't talk you into going with her," Syaoran commented.

Sakura smiled shyly. "I know Tomoyo-chan wished I could've gone, but, well, we weren't invited to the ball. I doubt we could've snuck in. I wouldn't know the first thing about being at such an elegant party."

Meiling laughed. "You're going to have to learn! I can name a few parties that you'll have to deal with stupid rich people: when you, Daidouji and myself get married. Not to mention when Syaoran and I are declared adults."

"Don't remind me about that birthday." Syaoran looked away. "Maybe I can hide in Japan, go on one Kinomoto-sensei's archeology digs or something."

Sakura pouted. "I should encourage you to go to those parties, but after what happened at your sister's wedding reception..."

"Oh, I've got to watch that video again!" Meiling was almost howling in mirth.

"That wasn't your fault. Lufang was a being a complete jerk," Syaoran tried to assure her.

"Hate to break it to you, but you're a rich jerk, too," Meiling joked. "I should know."

"What does that make you?" Syaoran shot back.

"A rich bitch," Meiling replied as a matter-of-fact.

Hinagashi felt left out of the conversation, not sure what to make of it.

* * *

Tomoyo felt very stiff as she almost forced herself to walk to the foyer where her 'date' was waiting for her. She was thankful in a way that this was her first official date in the eyes of her friends considering that was not what filled her with dread. She was going to a fancy ball with an assassin. Without her, he would be unable to attend. Whoever the target was tonight, she would be an accomplice, regardless of how little she was actually involved. This would be the third time the blood of another person would splash onto her dress.

Arriving at her destination, Tomoyo froze at the sight of her mother gazing intently at a surprisingly nervous looking Kurogane. She wished the maid had not interrupted by announcing her presence.

Kurogane shot to his feet and bowed in his stylish black tuxedo. "Daidouji, you are quite beautiful. Thank you..."

Tomoyo had to force herself to not giggle at his attempt to be formal. It allowed her to fall back on taught manners. "I thank you for inviting me."

Sonomi stood up and walked to her daughter. In a low voice, she warned, "Be careful, and don't get any more involved with him than you already are."

"Easier said than done," Tomoyo replied curtly. "He can destroy my life easily."

"In more ways than you know," Sonomi pressed. "Enjoy yourself."

Tomoyo nodded, but did not believe she would enjoy this. A date to a murder scene with her date as the murderer should not be fun for anyone. Still, she accepted Kurogane's hand as he led to his limousine She eyed the elderly man playing the part of chauffeur who oddly carried the same air as Wei did, an actual servant rather than an assistant or someone rented for the day.

* * *

Sakura frowned at the massive line outside the stadium. It was going to take them forever to get inside. While she could not see the traffic ahead, it was obvious the driver was having a hard time pulling up to a curb to let them out.

Finally they were set free, but Sakura fretted as a security guard walked straight for them.

"Tickets?" the guard requested.

"Row two." Syaoran held up his.

"Row twenty and her protectors," intoned one of the bodyguards.

"Hoe," Sakura squeaked.

The security guard appraised the girl. "Protectors?"

"Kinomoto is an heir, and such events makes her an easy target. We do not expect trouble, any more than you expect trouble at the concert. We're both here to make sure any small issues don't become large ones," the bodyguard replied.

The security guard nodded. "Just be sure not to cause any issues." He then turned toward Hinagashi and Meiling. "And you?"

Hinagashi blushed. "Um, third row winner of the 'Otaku no Tange' contest."

Meiling raised an eyebrow. "Remind me to never go into your room."

The security guard chuckled and pointed at a manned door. "The radio station will want to get a photo of you. You all can go ahead to that door."

* * *

Tomoyo was hardly surprised that instead of going to the front of the large, elegant hall, they were driven around to the back. Waiting for them was a white haired man who did strike her as someone who worked with her 'date.'

"What are you doing here?" Kurogane growled.

The man ignored him. He instead bowed and introduced himself. "I'm Fye D. Florite, you can call me Fye."

Tomoyo frowned, but responded in kind with a curtsey. "Daidouji Tomoyo."

"Really?" Fye grinned dementedly at Kurogane. "Why would Kuropi be so tight lipped about you?"

"I would not hazard a guess," Tomoyo replied since her supposed date was too busy growling.

Fye smirked knowingly. "Your request has been met." He held up a pair of masks. "Though few seem to actually bother use them."

"Whatever." Kurogane snatched the one meant for him and quickly put it on.

Tomoyo had to stifle herself from giggling. The white mask certainly went with Kurogane's black tuxedo, but it completed the look to make him appear as if he was cosplaying Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon.

She took the matching white feathery mask, but regrettably didn't have the blond hair or white dress to complete the image. Had she known about this ahead of time, it would've made a good disguise in case something went bad.

Fye leaned forward and whispered softly to her. "He may act all tough and gruff, but he's really a big puppy barking. He doesn't like people knowing what he's really like."

Tomoyo nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

Kurogane growled. "What did you say to her?"

"Arf arf, woof woof," Fye teasingly replied before running into the hall.

Tomoyo and Kurogane had followed immediately after the man, but entering the kitchen they only saw cooks focused on their tasks and not paying any mind to them nor gave any indication that someone just ran through the room or hid in it.

* * *

Despite being let in without having to wait in the massive line, Sakura still found herself behind a group of people to get a few concessions to have during the concert with the two bodyguards that had come with them. Syaoran and Meiling went ahead to their seats, while Hinagashi waited with her to get what Meiling had requested.

"What's with the bodyguards?" Hinagashi asked suddenly.

Sakura began to fidget wildly.

"Sakura-sama is an heir to the Amamiya family fortune, albeit a minor one. However, if something were to happen to Tomoyo-hime, she would become the primary heir. Due to recent issues, it was deemed wise to keep an extra eye on her," one of the bodyguards explained.

"Are Li's and your families really disgustingly rich?" Hinagashi questioned.

"I'm not all that rich, but Syaoran-kun and Tomoyo-chan are very rich, yes," Sakura answered looking away from him.

Hinagashi frowned. "Would Meiling-chan get in trouble for dating someone like me?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "I, ah, don't know if she'd be the one in trouble." She looked at him nervously. "Best not to go too far with her... until we know how her family would... react first."

"Any tips on being approved by them?" Hinagashi wondered.

"Syaoran-kun's mother and sisters like me... I just don't know about the rest of the family," Sakura replied.

"There isn't some Li clan elders we would need approval from, are there?" Hinagashi questioned with a sense of dread.

"Not as far as I know. It's just..." Sakura shook her head. "Sorry, it's hard to explain. Mostly a feeling that might not be true. I hope it's not true. I want to explain it, but I can't."

Sakura was quite thankful that is was her turn to place an order, and did so quickly. Snacks in hand she rushed towards her seat, leaving Hinagashi and one of the guards behind as the other one followed her.

Syaoran motioned for the seat his girlfriend had.

Sakura giggled nervously as she sat down and held up a yellow box. "Would you like some Cream Collon?"

Syaoran blinked and began to stutter uncontrollably

Meiling leaned forward and pointed at what was in Sakura's hand. "The candy, you perv."

"Hoe?" Sakura squeaked in confusion

Syaoran flushed an intense red. "S-sorry, misheard you."

Meiling whispered into Sakura's ear. "'Colon' is part of an arse, and you can guess what 'cream' he was thinking of."

"Hooooooeeeeeee!" Sakura squeaked again, and then pouted. "Syaoran-kun is a pervert!"

"Stupid candy name," Syaoran muttered.

Sakura looked at the box of creamed filled graham crackers. "Meiling-chan, you can have these. I don't want them now."

Meiling couldn't stop laughing.

* * *

Tomoyo frowned and muttered out, "Sorry."

Kurogane didn't wince as his dance partner once again stepped on his toes. "You just need to relax."

"Easier said than done." Tomoyo smiled sheepishly. "I've never been that good at dancing, with or without a partner."

"You're too self-conscious. You need to know when to let go," Kurogane advised.

Tomoyo pouted. "Relaxing would be easier."

Kurogane gave no reply. The song came to an end and the couple parted. His gaze shot to the side and with a few steps vanished into the mass of party goers.

Tomoyo looked away and retreated from the dance floor. Having been to similar parties before for her mother, there were a few people she recognized and she tried to keep her distance from them. With her date absent, she eventually made her way to the punch bowl.

"Tomoyo-chan?"

Tomoyo jumped and whirled around, paling slightly seeing the man standing before her. "Ah, Great-Grandfather, what brings you here?"

The elderly Englishman smirked. "I was invited. Coming here is a nice change of pace. I had not known you would be here." He gazed at her intently. "So... who's your date for tonight and where is he?"

Tomoyo glanced to the side. "I came here more as a favor than as his date. I'm not sure where he is right now."

"Oh?" Amamiya looked over the party guests. "It would not be a bad idea to test the waters here. You may be surprised at what you find."

Tomoyo gave her great-grandfather a look. "Not you too. Sakura-chan is also pushing me to take this seriously. It's just a favor."

Amamiya shook his head. "And how is Sakura-chan doing?"

"Happily on a date with her beloved." Tomoyo sighed. "Which might be why she's so insistent. Of our friends, I'm the only one who isn't seeing anyone."

"When one is happy, they wish to share in that." Amamiya put his hand on his great-granddaughter's shoulder. "Try to find your own special person. I made horribly mistakes with my granddaughters and I pray you don't repeat what happened with your mother."

"If I promise to give him a chance, could you go home?" Tomoyo shyly looked at her feet. "It'd be harder for me if I know you're around."

Amamiya chuckled. "I regret that I can't take you up on that. These parties are not just for recreation. I still have some business to attend to and I must wait until the toast for the guest of honor before I can talk to his parents."

Tomoyo clutched at the front of her dress. "I... see. I have to go find my so-called date."

Amamiya looked confused as the girl dashed off.

* * *

"What's the chance this guy isn't a quack and pyramids really are landing sites for aliens?" Hanami wondered, holding up an article in one of the less reputable scientific publications.

Fujitaka didn't immediately reply despite the snort sound that came from under his kitchen table. "Hard to say. I think I would've heard more concrete examples than what 'The Chariots of the Gods' put forth. However, as references of ancient aliens visiting us are all from thousands of years ago, those with the power to control energy could potentially be descendants of those aliens."

Hanami pouted. "I'd accept aliens before magic being real."

"That's partly why I don't discount the ancient aliens hypothesis. Had you asked me years ago if magic existed, I'd laugh it off as being pure myth." Fujitaka sighed. "Finding out magic is real has made me reevaluate everything I know about archeology. It's caused me a few problems teaching things that I no longer believe to be true, yet getting fired for teaching magic as being real would be the least of my worries."

"They would send you to the looney bin." Hanami looked at him skeptically. "You haven't even shown me any proof magic is real."

Fujitaka would point out the missing pork bun from the table, but that was hardly proof. Showing her the thief would certainly do it, but he wasn't ready to expose his daughter's magic. "I'm afraid what I have access to wouldn't prove anything."

Hanami raised an eyebrow. "What do you have access to?"

"A golem's heart, but without the golem it's merely a statue," Fujitaka answered. "I don't blame you for not believing me. I didn't entirely believe it when I was first told me magic was real. When the time is right, you'll see it for yourself."

"I suppose Touya-kun has some magical sight or something," Hanami questioned in a disbelieving tone. "He certainly talks like he can see the future."

Fujitaka frowned. "Touya certainly can see some things, that allows him to make educated guesses on the future. If you think he's been off to you, he's been hostile to Sakura's boyfriend."

"Is there any reason why the first time I'm here is when your daughter isn't home?" Hanami wondered.

"It's nothing you might be fearing." Fujitaka paused to think. "Sakura has had a lot of drama in her life lately and I'm not sure how she'd react to you. I'm waiting for when she's ready."

"Ah." Hanami then pouted as she looked at the time. "I'll miss the bus if don't leave now."

"I can drive you home," Fujitaka offered.

"Tempting, but then I might not go home and then your daughter really would have 'issues' with me," Hanami teased.

Fujitaka laughed sheepishly while blushing. "I guess. Thank you for the help on the presentation."

* * *

"Daidouji-chan, is that you?"

Tomoyo quickly hated her instinctual response to turn and see who had said that. "Hello, Matsumoto-kun. It has been a while." But not nearly long enough, in her opinion.

"Too long." Matsumoto grinned lecherously. "You don't often come to these parties."

"I don't usually have a date," Tomoyo replied curtly. It did not escape her notice that her great-grandfather was signaling her for the second time that night. Last time he motioned for her to 'go for it' this time he signaled 'no.'

Matsumoto looked around. "And what cad would leave a beautiful lady to wonder by her lonesome?"

"Perhaps you should be asking your date that," Tomoyo returned.

"Miki-chan is a beauty, but she's no lady," Matsumoto said proudly as if to complement Tomoyo by putting down his date, who was now scowling at him.

"And how are your half-siblings?" Tomoyo questioned pointedly. "I hear your father is showing interest in having Hibiki-kun learn the business."

"I have no siblings, half or otherwise," Matsumoto growled.

"So you say, but the son of a mistress is still an heir, especially if he's more skilled than the legitimate one." Tomoyo glanced at him with contempt. "If I was you, I'd would've been concerned about your rumored sisters as well, but I know your views of women were taught to you by your father."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Matsumoto hissed.

"Ask your father what happened when he tried to treat my mother as a 'mere woman,' and then remember that I'm my mother's daughter, and you'd get the same or worse from me," Tomoyo replied before pointedly turning away and walked off.

Matsumoto likewise turned away, only to see his date leaving the hall.

Tomoyo came to a halt when Kurogane suddenly appeared next to her. Before she could say anything, the apparent hosts of the party stood upon a landing in clear view of all the guests. While she was sure she had never met them, there was a certain familiarity of their looks that troubled her.

"Thank you all for coming here today to help celebrate the day my son, Youou, has come of age," the man spoke proudly. "Though this is all mere formality as he has already taken over one of the family businesses with great zealousness."

"Son, come up here and take off that mask," the woman on the landing demanded sweetly.

Tomoyo's troubled feelings intensified as Kurogane pulled off his mask and took her by the hand leading her to the stairs.

Arriving at the landing Kurogane stiffly turned around and bowed to the guests.

"Now say something to your guests," his mother whispered.

"Thank you," was all Kurogane said.

"Reminds me of my twentieth birthday speech, only I had more to say," Kurogane's father joked.

His mother smirked. "Only because you went 'ah, um, ano, ah...' before saying 'thank you.'"

Tomoyo might've laughed at Kurogane's clear embarrassment if her mind was not overloading on the sheer fact this party was not what she had expected. Her 'date' wasn't here to kill anyone. He had actually asked her here to be his date. This really was her first official date.

As music began to play once more, she found herself guided into another dance with Kurogane this time in clear view of everyone. Unsurprisingly she repeatedly stepped on his toes. It didn't help her as her great-grandfather once again was signaling his thoughts, giving her an enthusiastic 'go for it.'

* * *

Sakura kept singing random lyrics she heard from the concert as she bounced in her seat. The concert was over but they waited for most of the concert goers to leave to avoid the massive crowd.

"No loitering," groused the janitor.

Sakura whirled around and cried out with a huff, "Onichan!"

"Should I be surprised you have a part time job here?" Meiling deadpanned.

"College isn't getting any cheaper," Yukito replied as he walked up to them. "Did you enjoy the concert."

"Yup!" Sakura chirped. "Tange-chan was awesome!"

Hinagashi looked confused as Syaoran and Touya went into a glaring contest.

"I'm actually surprised I haven't seen you two doing more temp jobs lately," Meiling commented.

Yukito smirked. "Sakura-chan has been trying to keep her schedule a secret from Toya."

"It wasn't hard to figure out the brat would take you here," Touya spat.

"Syaoran-kun is NOT a brat!" Sakura defended hotly.

"Right," Touya growled with sarcasm. "He's a MONSTROUS brat."

"No he's not! I'm the monster!" Sakura blinked. "Wait!"

"You said it, not me," Touya teased.

Yukito chuckled lightly. "That's enough, Toya. Have a safe trip home."

"You better be going home," Touya grumbled.

"She's spending the night with me," Syaoran announced.

Touya's glare was deadly, but Yukito's hand clamped down tightly on his shoulder preventing him from jumping the boy.

"And I'll be in the next room," Meiling reminded. "It won't be any different than the other times they've shared a bed."

"It's safe to go now," one of the bodyguards announced.

"Safer than the boys will be if we stay," Meiling groused. "Here, you guys enjoy this kind of stuff." She passed Yukito the box of Cream Collon.

Yukito looked a little confused.

Sakura dragged Syaoran with her as she followed the bodyguard out of the stadium.

Hinagashi looked at his girlfriend as they walked behind the couple. "What was that about?"

"The mean one was Kinomoto's older brother," Meiling replied.

"Huh? Then why is Sakura-san an heir ahead of him?" Hinagashi wondered.

"Because her brother will be creaming Tsukishiro's colon tonight," Meiling joked.

"MEILING-CHAN!" Sakura cried out.

"Like you didn't want Tsukishiro to give you some 'cream filling' before Syaoran got you to fall for him," Meiling shot back.

"You must be the only person to dislike Tsukishiro," Syaoran muttered.

"If he choose Kinomoto, you'd still be mine," Meiling retorted.

* * *

Tomoyo managed to slip away from her date and made her way outside to the garden. She needed a moment to breath and catch her thoughts. Her mother's words from earlier now carried a whole new meaning. She had been the only one to believe this had not been a real date.

"Is something wrong?"

Tomoyo jumped in surprise, but was relieved to see her great-grandfather. "Not really, I guess."

"I don't think anyone noticed you stepped on his toes," Amamiya tried to comfort her.

"One of the benefits of a long dress," Tomoyo noted.

Amamiya appraised the girl. "Then why are you hiding from your date?"

"He did that earlier to me," Tomoyo reminded.

"Not by choice. He had things to discuss with his parents." Amamiya gazed over the garden's pond. "I may not know the lad very well, but he'd be good for you if he's half the man his father is."

Tomoyo smirked. "I certainly know he's a man-amongst-men. It's just..."

"Just what?" Amamiya pressed.

"I thought I was here as a favor." Tomoyo looked away. "I didn't realize he had honestly asked me for a date."

"Is there anything wrong with this actually being a date?" Amamiya questioned.

"That's the question I've been trying to figure out." Tomoyo sighed. "It's not as if I'm seeing anyone as the ones I'm interested in have other interests. I just don't know how I feel about him."

Amamiya placed a comforting hand on the girl. "This is something that running away won't solve. To learn how you truly feel, you must face him. If you enjoy being around him, go for it. If he makes you uncomfortable, then let him know that and let him go." He then gave his great-granddaughter a light shove.

Tomoyo stumbled a few steps before being caught in Kurogane's strong arms.

"She's all yours. Hurt her and die," Amamiya said with a smile.

Kurogane glanced at Tomoyo in confusion

"He's my great-grandfather," Tomoyo answered his unvoiced question.

Kurogane grunted in acknowledgment, yet didn't pull away despite that the girl was now firmly on her feet. "Sorry."

Tomoyo pulled away and looked at him. "Sorry about what?"

Kurogane turned his gaze to the pond. "For making things confusing. I'm not sure what to make of this either. Li Yelan told me some things that led me to ask you here. I had meant it as a favor, not a date."

"What sort of things did Li-kun's mother say?" Tomoyo wondered.

"That a need I have will be answered by a dark request. I needed a date for tonight," Kurogane replied.

"Anything else?" Tomoyo pressed.

Kurogane folded his arms. "That I should get used to you ordering me around."

Tomoyo wasn't sure if she should be upset or laugh. "For now let's keep things professional. Sakura-chan's safety is more important than my own."

Kurogane gave a noncommittal grunt.

"I mean it, Sakura-chan has a destiny beyond my own," Tomoyo asserted.

"I would not be a man if I let anything happen to either of you," Kurogane retorted.

"By being near Sakura-chan I'll be exposed to risks that may force you to choose. Sakura-chan is your priority, not me," Tomoyo ordered.

Kurogane's gaze hardened on the girl. "Why are you being so insistent on this?"

"You are out of leads, are you not?" Tomoyo questioned.

Kurogane nodded.

"And you have some magic in your blood, correct?" Tomoyo continued.

Kurogane frowned. "Similar enough to count."

"So hiding yourself to watch over Sakura-chan would be difficult as eventually either she or Li-kun would sense your presence," Tomoyo pointed out. "Which means the best method to get close enough to her would be as my 'boyfriend.' That way your presence won't be in question the next time she is attacked."

Kurogane frowned. "It's not my style, but I see your logic."

"I have a concert in two weeks from today at four. Li-kun has a soccer game at that time which Sakura-chan won't be able to attend as it would make her late to cheer at our school's American Football game at seven. While Meiling-chan will be present, it offers one of the better chances to ambush Sakura-chan," Tomoyo informed him.

"Easier to hide in such events," Kurogane noted. "I'll be there."

* * *

Coming Next: Sakura's Thoughts on the Future It's time for students to submit career choices to better decide on what path to take in senior high.

This extra idea came from the website fmylife (dot) com. Where people can post about the bad stuff that happened to them. I tried to pick canon events that had nothing directly dealing with magic. One of these references an event in one of the Tomoyo's Video Diary anime extras.

OMAKE!

Today, my lover told me she's breaking up with me because she's moving back to England tomorrow. She knew about going back even before we met and decided not to tell me.

Today, I got engaged to the most wonderful person I ever met. We promised to wait until we're married. We're getting married in six years.

Today, I moved to Japan to be with my fiance. When I got to his home, he had two girls with him. He said I overreacted to kicking them out and yelling at him. One of them was wearing a shirt I gave him! What am I supposed to think?

Today, in class we were assigned roles in the school play randomly so everyone would have a 'fair chance' to get the staring role. I get to be Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, I suffer from stage fright, and I'm a guy.

Today, I learned that my pathologically liar of a boyfriend squints all the time to avoid eye contact and the only time I'll get to see his eyes is when I stomp on his foot.

Today, I moved back to Hong Kong away from my fiance and learned that the girl I had been mean to for the past few months for trying to steal away my fiance really has been in love with someone else the entire time.

Today, I confessed my love for my brother's best friend only to find out he's more than friends with my brother.

Today, I went to see my fiance for the weekend because he wanted to talk to me. By the time we got a moment alone, I had already figured out what he was going to say. He was in love with my stupid friend.

Today, I helped a girl get over being dumped by her 'fiance' by letting her cry on my lap. Her 'fiance' is in love with the same girl as me. And that girl loves him, even if she doesn't realize it yet. I wanted to cry too.

Today, I finally figured out that I'm in love with one of my friends, and he just moved back to Hong Kong.

Today, after months I've worked on creating an original play for school and weeks of rehearsals, the lead actor got hurt and the only guy I can get to replace him was horribly stiff in his lines during the last school play and he has only one day to memorize all of his lines.


	22. Sakura's Thoughts on the Future

With the chime of a bell, the students instantly fell silent.

Takashi called out, "Stand. Bow. Sit."

The class followed the commands and homeroom began for the day.

"Good morning class," Fukino intoned. He lifted a stack of papers and began to walk down the rows placing one at each desk. "This may not be a test, but in many ways it is more important. You need to take this seriously. How you answer the question will decide what classes you take in senior high. I know that it may be tempting to place similar answers as your friends, yet this is too important. This is about your future. Whether science or social studies will be your focus in the years to come."

There were some low mumblings from the students. Some looked at the paper with confusion, others quickly jotted down their answers.

"Starting next week, you will each be assigned a time to meet with your guidance councilors," Fukino told them. "Missing your appointment will not be tolerated and will be punished." He then smirked ruefully. "You may discuss this with your friends, though I would also suggest talking to your family as well. Keep your discussions to a dull roar."

* * *

**Card Captor Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 22: Sakura's Thoughts on the Future**

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

_By: Lord Archive_

Author's Warnings:

This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.

This series contains: Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Sakura pouted at the paper she was holding. It asked a simple question and asked for three answers yet she was clueless as to how to answer it. "What career do you see yourself having as an adult?"

"I guess 'witch' isn't one you can use," Takashi joked.

"Yeah." Sakura looked at her friends as they were eating lunch underneath a tree at school. "What did you guys pick?"

"Housewife, waitress and cashier," Chiharu groused. She spun a finger in the air. "Yay, I'll be rich."

Takashi chuckled. "Wish I was so certain. I need a good job so she only has to worry about the first one."

Chiharu stuck her tongue out at him.

Rika started writing in the third box. "I guess waitress would work for me. First two choices are housewife and teacher."

Syaoran frowned at his. "I put down corporate president and archaeologist. I can't think of a third choice.

Sakura looked at him in thought.

Tomoyo smiled. "Corporate president, fashion designer, and movie director for me."

"For most people those would be impossible goals," Meiling groused.

Naoko laughed. "I said it before, Tomoyo-chan is liable to do all three."

"What did you pick?" Meiling asked.

"Professional writer, of course," Naoko replied. "Not quite decided on the other two. 'Housewife' just seems a little bit of a cop out for me. Yeah, I got a boyfriend, but I'm not as sure as Chiharu-chan and Rika-chan with their beloveds."

Meiling nodded. "I sure as hell don't want to be a trophy wife."

"What do you want to be?" Tomoyo wondered.

"Mine is as blank as Kinomoto's." Meiling held up her paper. "I'm not sure what I want to do."

Sakura giggled sheepishly. She did have one box filled in as 'housewife.'

* * *

Sakura sat at her kitchen table tapping her pen next to her assignment.

"What are you working on?" Fujitaka asked.

"Need to come up with three career choices to help decide our future classes," Sakura muttered out her answer. "I don't know how to answer it."

Fujitaka laughed. "Your mother also had issues with that. Even in senior high she kept returning it blank."

"I could do that?" Sakura wondered.

"It's best that you don't," Fujitaka advised. "It is important and needs to be taken seriously."

Sakura pouted as she nodded. "Wasn't Mom a model at the time?"

Fujitaka nodded. "She was a freelance model and did it as a hobby. She certainly got enough work from it to help us in the early days of our marriage, however it wasn't something she wanted to do as a living. The life of a professional model is a cut throat business of attitude." He frowned. "More than once she came home crying from the other models calling her names."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Really?"

Fujitaka nodded. "All jobs have good and bad points. It's kind of like dating and finding a person who is right for you. Life is also about finding the job you enjoy the most."

"So what are the good and bad points of teaching and archeology?" Sakura wondered.

Fujitaka smirked. "You never stop going to school. In both you are constantly learning. Things change and even the history I was taught as a kid is different from what you learn today. With archeology you get to learn and discover those changes first. However, it is an exacting and cautious science. You need patience to uncover the past and have to strip away myth and theory to learn the truth. Even after years of tedious research, you can end up with the wrong conclusion."

Sakura pouted. "That would suck."

"It certainly does." Fujitaka agreed. "However, there is a certain joy to brush away the years and hold up a relic that no one has seen in thousand of years."

Sakura nodded. "What about teaching?"

"Teaching is a lot like being a parent. You get dozens of students and you get to tell them things they need to know." Fujitaka smiled ruefully. "The problem is they don't always listen. Seeing your students accomplish something makes you very proud. When they fail, you feel it's your fault." He sighed. "That the students change is also good and bad. You get a fresh set of students to teach, yet after time you lose track of your students. Even the ones you're currently teaching sometimes blend with students you taught before."

Sakura frowned at her paper. "Dad, it's not like I'm afraid to work on becoming a teacher..."

"You're concerned that you might put all your effort into becoming something you don't enjoy," Fujitaka surmised.

"Yeah." Sakura sighed. "This all feels so... _big_ that I don't know what to make of it."

"I'll let you in on a secret." Fujitaka grinned. "Chances are only one or two students end up doing what they write on that. This is more about taking a step closer to where you will find your future."

"What about 'housewife?'" Sakura asked in confusion

Fujitaka shook his head. "That may have been something encouraged in the past for girls, and many still believe that's the best future a woman can have, but it's not truly a career. If something happens and you end up alone, how will you make a living for yourself?"

Sakura was left to ponder his words. Why wouldn't she end up growing old with Syaoran as his wife? Yet Misora and Gotoh breaking up and the death of Chiharu's father flashed through her head. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but in life there was no certainty. Reluctantly she erased the one answer she had.

* * *

Meiling glanced irritably at her the time on her cell phone. "If this delay keeps up, we'll have to walk out mid-performance."

Sakura pouted. "I hope not."

"Have you come up with anything for your future careers?" Meiling questioned.

Sakura curled up a little into her chair. "No. The one thing I had put down, Dad pointed out it's not a paying career."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about being a housewife. With Syaoran, you'll be set for life," Meiling pointed out.

"What do you have?" Sakura wondered.

"Martial arts champion," Meiling groused. "I would've put down Olympic athlete but I would've already needed to be training in a specific sport. Not to mention it'd be hard to break into China's Olympic program."

Naoko leaned forward from her seat behind them. "I've managed to get two by splitting the one I had into novelist and playwright Still no clue on the third. If I can't figure out anything better, I'll use 'housewife.' Though I don't want to rely on my ability to have kids to be my future worth."

"Still more than I have. I don't like how we're supposed to have our future summed up into one title," Sakura complained.

"Who is that with Tomoyo-chan?" Rika called out.

Sakura blinked at the tall man her best friend was leading toward them. She then jumped out of her seat. "You must be Kurogane-san!"

The darkly dressed man nodded. "Yes. You're Kinomoto?"

Sakura nodded. "It's nice to meet you."

"Same," Kurogane grunted.

Tomoyo motioned with her hand to the others still in their seats. "Kurogane-kun, I'd also like you to meet Li Meiling, Sasaki Rika, and Yanagizawa Naoko."

Meiling merely stared at him while the other two girls waved at him in turn.

"Wish I could stay to talk, but they should be just about done repairing the set," Tomoyo told them before dashing away.

"See you on stage." Sakura shook a little as she tried to think of something to say. "Tomoyo-chan hasn't said much about you. Um, what do you do?"

"I run my family's private investigation firm," Kurogane replied simply.

Rika pouted. "You research whether people are cheating or have bad backgrounds?"

"That's for my employees," Kurogane answered.

"You don't look like someone who'd push papers," Meiling noted.

Kurogane nodded. "I take the fun cases: body guard, rescuing kidnapped children or bounty hunting."

Sakura blinked. "Really?"

"You can make a living off that?" Meiling wondered.

"The normal investigation stuff is what pays the bills. The big cases is where the profit lies," Kurogane replied.

Meiling's hand twitched in excitement. "Wish I had my paper with me, that's definitely a career choice for me."

Naoko held a finger to her cheek. "You know, being a researcher wouldn't be a bad fall back plan for me. Not sure if I'd research people as a private investigator, but a fact checker or something similar could work."

Rika nodded. "It could be good for you."

The auditorium lights dimmed and a hush fell over everyone. Sakura and Kurogane quickly moved to sit down as the curtain opened.

Sakura wished she could pay more attention to Tomoyo's singing, but a nagging feeling would not go away. She felt magic coming from her best friend's boyfriend. She didn't want to be suspicious of him, but was afraid he was using Tomoyo to be able to strike at her.

* * *

Tomoyo smiled at her elderly guidance councilor as he looked over her career goals. She had volunteered to go first, having an easy time knowing what she hoped to accomplish.

"Why do you see yourself as a corporate president?" he questioned.

"I am the primary heir to the Amamiya family fortune, which upon my marriage or my mother's death, I will be the controlling shareholder in dozens of businesses," Tomoyo replied. "The other two are more hobbies that the former would allow me to accomplish, assuming I can find people I trust to run my businesses for me."

He nodded thoughtfully. "And there in may lay a problem. Put too much trust in others and they may take your wealth from you."

Tomoyo pouted. "That is true."

"I'd like you to consider an option your wealth doesn't afford you," the councilor suggested.

Tomoyo looked at him thoughtfully. "I would then focus on fashion designing. I have already sold a few designs that I've made in my free time, which have sold well in stores. I would be working as a designer now if the school would allow for me to have a job. Though I see the wisdom of making me wait as I have been busy enough with school, choir, and life in general. If all else failed for me, I would be content to run a clothing store."

He frowned, remembering some of the issues this girl had. He was rather surprised that her grades had not gone down despite being sexually attacked. "That is good. You have a reasonable outlook on your future."

* * *

Naoko frowned at her homeroom teacher. Apparently he was her guidance councilor.

"You do realize being a professional writer is by far one of the most difficult careers to break into. You just can't write a book and have it published. You'll need an agent, and few will look at anything that isn't written by a published author," Fukino noted. "It's simply not a realistic goal."

Naoko glared slightly. "Oh, really."

"Really," Fukino barked back. "Researcher is certainly a more feasible job, however you will find the pay of such a job to be underwhelming. It's one of the few jobs that can pay less than a teacher."

"What would you suggest? Being a writer is my dream job. I want to entertain people with my words," Naoko insisted.

Fukino appraised the girl. "It's true that you have some skill, but becoming a professional writing is the intellectual equivalent to becoming a major sports star. Few writers ever see their work published, and only a handful of them make any significant income. If you really want to pursue writing, don't let any writing contest pass you by. Winning one of those will get your foot in the door. And don't limit yourself to just novelist or playwright You may even want to work on drawing or teaming up with an artist to try your hand at manga."

Naoko blinked. She had never thought of that. While her drawings still left much to be desired, a few had been used with published story. She was nowhere fast enough to do a manga by herself, but with a good artist, Bloody Sword Detective could come more to life.

"Unless you have some sort of success by the time you start college, I suggest you come up with a better alternative than writer or researcher. Both careers would only do well for you if land a working husband," Fukino advised.

"Stress on the 'working' part." Naoko shook her head. "Asaba has had a lot of ideas, but most are too far fetched, like 'game designer,' or a money hole, like running an 'anime store.'"

Fukino palmed his forehead. "You may want to keep all your options open, not just your future careers." He then muttered, "And I'll have to see his choices tomorrow."

Naoko couldn't help but giggle.

* * *

Sakura entered her room and quickly set to pull out her school books from her bag. A photo fell away, which caught the attention of her diminutive guardian.

"Who's this with Tomoyo?" Kero questioned.

Sakura pouted slightly as she took the photo. "That's her boyfriend, Kurogane-san."

Kero frowned. "What kind of guy is he?"

"Hard to say, when I met him he didn't talk much." Sakura looked away. "He works as a private investigator, taking the dangerous jobs that likely will involve fighting of some sort. And he has some magic to him."

"He might be a threat," Kero surmised.

"I'm afraid of that too. Syaoran-kun promised to keep an eye on him. Meiling-chan thinks Tomoyo-chan is dating him just to gain another protector for me," Sakura groused. "Tomoyo-chan needs someone but if you look at it like that, one of them isn't being serious about it."

Kero laughed. "Even if Tomoyo-chan is using him, things can still happen. After all, the brat was supposed to be your rival."

"He's not a brat," Sakura retorted. "I guess there's hope that way. Still..."

"If you're really concerned with him, ask the cards," Kero suggested.

Sakura pouted. "You know that no one can accurately predict love."

"Love that hasn't formed yet," Kero corrected. "Besides, you're not looking at whether they're in love, but if he's a threat."

Sakura gazed at her guardian. "Fine." She sat down at her desk and summoned her magical cards to her hand without grabbing them from their resting place in her desk. "Too bad I can't put down fortune-teller as a career."

"You'd be able to make serious money once you become famous for being right." Kero crossed its arms. "The big issue is the 'famous' part. Doubt you want the sort of attention Nostradamus still gets."

Sakura nodded. "Oh, Sakura cards show me the answer to my question." She dealt out the cards and looked upon the result with confusion "Shadow... The cards are uncertain. The trouble is Fight, Change, and Libra." Her hand shook slightly as she reached for the final card. "Maze... The answer is lost. Can't be sure if the cards don't know, or if it really plays into the situation that involves Kurogane-san."

"Doesn't really help us, does it?" Kero observed.

"He is, or at least will be involved," Sakura noted. "There is a secret involved around him, yet something will not stay the same."

"But is he a threat to you?" Kero pressed.

Sakura gathered up the cards. "I suppose I could be more specific about that." She dealt out her next reading. She blinked at the first card. "Illusion... The question has been obscured." She flipped over the next three cards. "Shadow, Shield, Change." She wasn't sure what to make of that. Flipping the final card didn't surprise her though. "Maze again."

"Looks like you can trust him for now," Kero guessed.

Sakura nodded slowly. "Yet somehow he'll become lost which will change things." She sighed. "But with the cards' uncertainty, this may not be how things play out. His future is in doubt." She waved her hand over her desk and the cards vanished back into her book. "Well, that was only slightly more useful than trying to find my future career choices."

Kero smirked. "Too bad you can't write the truth."

Sakura let out a forced laugh. "Yeah, 'all powerful sorceress' hardly works. Don't know how I'd make a living off it."

"Doing odds and ends for people, whether it's fortune telling or casting a spell they want," Kero replied.

Sakura cocked her head. "I'd be one hell of a stage magician."

"That's a waste of your talent," Kero growled.

"I'd certainly make money, but I'd certainly get too much attention." Sakura sighed. "Meiling-chan joked I could be a super-hero. I'm afraid Tomoyo-chan is already making some sort of battle costume based off that."

* * *

Yukito smiled in amusement as a young boy tried to pull away from his mother to wander around the bank. It helped pass the time while he waited to deposit his last paycheck.

It happened so fast, Yukito couldn't believe it. That young boy was now being held by a masked man with a knife to his throat.

Another masked man rushed to the teller. "Give me all the money or the kid dies."

Yukito shook impotently as the robbery took place in front of him. He had to suppress Yueh, who was ready to fight, despite knowing this would be the worst possible place to change as cameras were all over the place. "Let the boy go, I'll be your hostage."

The man waiting for the teller to fill the bag backhanded Yukito. "Say another word and I'll carve you up."

Yukito nodded slightly holding his now bloodied lip defensively.

The guy grabbed the bag and the pair ran out of the bank, still holding the young boy.

"Give me back my baby!" the mother screeched.

Yukito ran out of the bank and saw the robbers racing down the street, turning into an alleyway. He turned and ran the opposite way, ducking between a different set of buildings. With a flash of light, Yueh took to the air. "You did not have to bleed to mark him."

"Stab the kid already so the police will be distracted with him," the man with the bag ordered.

Yueh float down next to them. "Do that and die."

The guy holding the kid took a step back and loosen his hold. The boy dropped to the ground and ran away.

The other robber slashed his knife blindly.

Yueh's hand glowed blue as he swatted the blade away, leaving only the hilt in the man's hand.

"Are you nuts? That's an angel!" The kidnapper dropped to his knees. "Forgive me! I'll repent. Honest I will!"

"Surrender yourself to the police and speak not of my appearance," Yueh intoned. "Or ye may yet feel my true wrath." He held his hand out, producing sharp crystals floating above his palm.

The two men turned and ran out of the alleyway, right into a pair of police officers. They immediately held their hands up.

Yueh flew away and landed a few blocks away before changing back to his false form. "You actually enjoyed that." He then laughed as a voice in his head yelled, 'Shut up!'

* * *

"Shouldn't be surprised you put 'housewife' as a choice, Yamazaki-chan," the elderly guidance councilor intoned.

Chiharu nodded. "Considering that's already my 'job.' Doubt I'll finish senior high."

"Oh?" the man wondered.

"I'll probably be a mother before then," Chiharu explained.

He blinked. "You haven't been using protection?"

Chiharu looked away. "The reason we married was to secure both our families' estates. It's best I have a couple kids so we can split our properties between them."

"I know it's part of your duty." He frowned. "But you still have to look at your own future. Many marriages end in divorce, particularly the ones between young couples."

Chiharu pouted. "I know. Takashi could also die on me, which is part of the reason we don't use any protection. I want to have his child."

"I can understand that, but you do realize that being a housewife won't pay any bills if you don't have a husband with a job." He gazed at her paper. "It's good that you realize that even with him, you may still have to work. However, why settle as waitress or cashier? Think beyond that. Those are starting jobs, but they aren't necessarily dead-ends. You can reach above that and be a manager of a store, or even be able to manage several stores. Just because you've already tied your life to another doesn't mean you can't have any career goals."

"I hadn't thought about that," Chiharu admitted.

"There is another option to consider: a for profit hobby," he suggested.

Chiharu looked confused. "Huh?"

"Knitting, pottery, sculpting, painting are all types of hobbies that can be used to earn extra money. True, it's unlikely to make you rich, but it can help to cover costs and can be done at home while watching children," he related.

Chiharu nodded thoughtfully. "I'm not sure what sort of hobby I'd be good at."

The guidance councilor smiled. "That's part of why we have art classes and all the clubs for you to join. You should have time to figure out something you enjoy making."

* * *

Rika sat in front of her homeroom teacher uncomfortably as he looked over her career choices.

"When I was your age, every girl was expected to have housewife as their career of choice," Fukino related gruffly. "Some would say it's a nonpaying career, but if you're willing to settle for any man with means, a girl can live just fine. Even if she has to remarry a few time."

Rika cocked her head. Not exactly the 'encouragement' she expected.

"Teacher is a fine occupation, and certainly one you'd be capable of having," Fukino added. "Waitress is certainly a last resort type of job."

Rika nodded.

"These goals are certainly doable for you. If you're just willing to settle for a normal life, there is no problem with this." Fukino gazed at the girl. "Isn't there anything you wish to aspire to be? Something that would take a lot of work and effort to achieve?"

"My fondest wish is to have a family with the man I love," Rika asserted.

Fukino nodded absentmindedly. "Having a family will be easier part. Finding love that will last your whole life may be impossible." He then shook his head. "Don't let this paper limit you, nor your desire for family. You can be more if you try."

* * *

"Do any of you have ideas for a job that would be good for me?" Takashi asked as he took the bento Chiharu made for him.

"You haven't figured it out either?" Sakura questioned.

"Yeah, and I'm scheduled for after school." Yamazaki poked at his food. "I want a job that won't take up so much time that I only see Chiharu Sundays and holidays, if that."

"I always figured you'd make a good lawyer," Tomoyo suggested.

"He certainly lies well enough," Meiling added.

Takashi grinned. "Did you know that the first lawyers were in ancient Sumeria, and were picked for their job by their ability to tell tall tales. The winners were able to relate impossible stories yet got the audience to believe it was true."

All eyes moved to Meiling.

"I seriously doubt that's true." Meiling shrugged.

"I could see it happen on an individual basis, but not as a practice of a government," Syaoran agreed.

Naoko smirked. "So you don't know if it's true or not."

"Yep." Meiling nodded.

"And he's not going to tell us," Chiharu groused.

Takashi merely grinned at them.

"Still, it's not a bad career choice for Yamazaki-kun," Tomoyo defended. "While many lawyers have been consumed by their work, it is possible to moderate the job."

Takashi wrote it down. "Better than nothing. I don't want to be some office clerk."

Naoko laughed. "Yeah. That would eat your time just as bad, if not worse."

Sakura tilted her head. "You know, he could try writing his tall tales for a living. They'd make great children's stories."

"Think Dad would kill me if I tried to do that professionally," Takashi retorted.

Chiharu gazed at him. "It could still work as a money making hobby. I was told I should try my hand at finding a productive hobby as a back-up job."

"Really? I thought you had the most realistic outlook," Meiling commented.

"I believe they'll make suggestions for everyone," Tomoyo commented. "Even though my future is largely set for me, I was still told to think about what I might do if I was to lose my inheritance."

"I guess I'll get to look forward to that," Syaoran groused.

Takashi coughed to get attention back to him. "What other jobs would be good for me?"

"Used car salesman," Meiling joked. "You could sell saunas in Egypt."

Takashi looked at her in thought. "Salesman wouldn't be a bad choice. May just be doing that as a part-time job once we get to senior high."

"Politician could work as well. You'd have to sell yourself to people," Tomoyo added.

"Yes!" Takashi wrote down the suggestions. "I'm done."

Sakura pouted. "Wish I was."

"There are lots of things you could be." Tomoyo clapped her hands together. "Model, idol, or movie star!"

Sakura shook her head. "I don't want a job that would attract attention. It'd be bad if people learn I can do magic."

Tomoyo pouted. "True."

"I'm sure you'd be a good teacher," Rika praised.

Sakura shrugged weakly. "I'm not sure it's something I want to do every day."

"You could do Kurogane-san's style of private investigation," Naoko added. "You'd certainly be able to find missing persons."

"Maybe..." Sakura shook her head. "I'd have a hard time explaining why I'd want that kind of job."

"You could always go the simple route with waitress," Chiharu mentioned.

"Well, it's a fall back option." Sakura pouted. "I just don't know."

Syaoran stroked Sakura's back. "It's okay to be uncertain what kind of job you'd want. You can be anything you want."

Sakura blushed. There really was only one 'job' she wanted: to be the mother of Syaoran's children.

* * *

Teikei gazed at the boy in his room. Having transferred into the school, the Li cousins had not been assigned a guidance councilor, so he took the role despite it was not his job to do so. "I assume your family owns the corporation you'd be president of."

"They own and have shares in several different corporations," Syaoran replied.

"And I take archeology and explorer would be hobbies," Teikei added.

Syaoran nodded.

"I'm aware that you're from Hong Kong and that China's government is still having issues with bringing the city back into the country. What would you do if they decide to take your family fortune from you?" Teikei questioned.

"Not likely to happen." Syaoran frowned. "If I was to lose my inheritance, I'd still like to work in archeology, maybe as a teacher, like Sakura's father. I like discovering things, seeing things few had ever seen before."

"That would be a reasonable job for that, however it is a low paying job. You would not enjoy the quality of life you do now," Fukino pointed out.

"I would be happy living in a shack as long as Sakura is with me," Syaoran asserted.

"And would she be happy with living like that?" Teikei returned. "As a man, you can't just think of yourself, but of your wife and children as well. It would be best to think of a job that would best support them that you can enjoy, else you may find yourself in a job you hate just to pay the bills."

* * *

Yamazaki shifted a little uneasily as the elderly man looked over the paper.

"Turning your ability to tell stories into careers, eh?" the guidance councilor chuckled. "Each of these could be a reasonable career."

Yamazaki smirked. "My friends even suggested writing down my stories to publish as a book."

He nodded. "That would not be a bad idea. Doubtful it'd make enough to live off of, but it could certainly help make ends meet so your wife doesn't have to worry about work."

"I'm supposed to give you additional options for you to consider," he related. "Lawyer and politician can certainly be difficult career that you could achieve. Your young marriage could cause some issues in getting an elected position, but I could see you spinning that to a selling point."

"And salesman might not be a glamorous job, but it'll likely be my part-time job leading up through college. I may just be good enough at it that I don't have to move beyond it," Yamazaki added.

He laughed. "Exactly. Do keep an open mind and not limit yourself. If you find something you want to accomplish, go for it."

* * *

In Tai Chi Sakura hit the wall, literally. She rubbed her nose as she turned to look at her female opponent. She may have advanced beyond the beginners, but now she was learning with the more experienced students at the dojo. These were the students working to become masters in the art, but had yet to achieve that rank. As such, her opponents were far more skilled and dedicated than what she had been used to.

"Kinomoto, your nose is bleeding," the sensei intoned.

"Ack!" Sakura rushed and grabbed a towel to press under her nose.

"Sorry," her opponent sheepishly giggled.

"It's okay, it doesn't hurt much," Sakura assured her. She then looked down at her pure white gi. "That will be a problem to get out."

"At least there isn't too much," the girl tried to put down the blood stain.

"Kinomoto, you are down for the day. Shiratori, make sure none of the blood stains the floor." the sensei told them. He then motioned to a spot next to him. "Watch the other matches so you may learn from them."

Sakura knelt beside him.

"You don't seem concerned about your injury," the sensei noted.

Sakura flustered a little. "I'm rather active. I'm always getting bruised one way or another. Though I'm afraid Meiling-chan will want to spar with me sometime."

The aged martial arts master gave a reserved laugh. "I don't particularly want to fight her again either. She could be a good opponent if she takes it easy."

Sakura pouted. "She doesn't know limits. We're supposed to list career options for school, and she discounted teaching martial arts."

"Well, at least she knows there are some limits if she feels she can't teach well." The teacher glanced at the girl. "And what careers have you listed?"

Sakura sighed. "I haven't listed any yet. I'm not sure what I want to do."

"Your friend may have issues with teaching, but you certainly have the patience needed. Given time, you could become a master and teach Tai Chi," he praised her.

Sakura looked at him in surprise. "I could?" He gave her a slight nod, making her think it over. "Maybe I could. I don't know. Has anyone ever used what you taught to hurt others?"

The sensei frowned. "Regrettably, yes."

"I don't know if I could take that risk. I'd feel responsible," Sakura regretfully declined the suggestion.

He smiled. "Which would mean you would be all the better at teaching the true art."

* * *

"Not surprised at your first choice," Teikei groused. "Though you would find it difficult to make a living off legal martial arts competitions. Tournaments for women do not pay as well as the ones for men."

"It's not like I need to make a living. Baring a complete economy collapse and the failure of my family's corporations, I don't need to work even if I don't find a sugar daddy of a husband," Meiling groused.

Teikei smirked. "That may become an issue. What would happen if you lost your inheritance?"

"Private investigator certainly works for that. It may not keep my standard of living, at least until I become firmly established, but even in a trashed economy it would still be a needed job," Meiling pointed out.

Teikei nodded. "It's certainly more feasible than 'movie star.' Even though there are fewer professional martial arts champions, it's clear you have the talent to succeed at that."

Meiling nodded confidently. "I could still make it as action movie star. How many girls can do their own fights and stunts?"

Teikei paused in thought. "You do have a point there. You might be able to get a start in a few low budget martial arts films. If you are serious about it, you can't pass up any offer to act. Even school plays will be of help to you. You may even want to consider voice acting. There are classes available to help hone acting talent."

Meiling smiled that even her reach job hadn't been discounted out of hand.

"Still, you may want to consider a more normal occupation. As an heiress, you may be called to run one of your family's businesses," Teikei pointed out. "Even if you were to lose your family fortune, having business knowledge could help you find a good paying job."

"Yeah, I think that went without saying." Meiling pouted. "Though I hate the idea of pushing papers."

* * *

"You didn't list any specific jobs," Fukino intoned.

Sakura nodded sheepishly. "I couldn't think of a job I really wanted."

Fukino gazed at the paper. "Something to do with children, helping others, and preferably physical. That certainly narrows down the list. Yet it leaves many options. Gym teacher, physical therapy, pediatrician, housewife, and day care to name a few."

Sakura blinked. "I thought 'housewife' wasn't a paying career."

"Technically it's not, but if you're willing to settle for any man who can afford you, you wouldn't need to work. You might have to go through a few husbands, but a girl can live as a housewife," Fukino told her.

"I only want Syaoran-kun!" Sakura protested.

"That may be the case now, and you may be able to make it work. However, things can sadly change in life," Fukino noted.

Sakura pouted at him.

"It is good that you have some general ideas and not limiting yourself, you should try to focus yourself in which routes you want to pursue, being it education, medical or social services," Fukino advised. "I'd suggest education or social."

Sakura frowned. "Yeah... my maths scores would be an issue with medicine."

"You may want to consider something to do languages, as your scores in English is among the best in school. You could find work as an English teacher or as a translator," Fukino suggested.

Sakura nodded. "I know I have a lot of options. That I'm not limited as some of my friends are."

"True. And that may be a greater problem than having it decided for you," Fukino intoned.

* * *

Coming Next:

Chapter 23 - Sakura and the Camping Trip of Marriage A school trip to the woods has students paired off to learn lessons of married life.

Yay! This didn't take me months to write.

I would greatly appreciate it if I can get some prereaders, especially in regards to grammar help. I haven't had anyone do a full go over of the last few chapters before posting. My writing is not perfect, and I really could use some help.

Omake!

A television show gave way to commercials.

"Do you need special help and don't know where to turn? Has someone you love gone missing? Need a bodyguard to protect you? Want to see a criminal behind bars?" Takashi asked with flare as the screen showed examples of his questions. "Then come down to Beyond The Stars Investigation Services!"

Rika answered phones while Chiharu filed papers and Naoko read over papers.

"Our helpful staff will work on all your needs," Takashi intoned. "No foe is to strong..."

Meiling leapt into a flying kick that knocked out a man three times her size.

"No object too small..."

Sakura pulled a diamond ring from the sands on a beach.

"No task too tedious..."

Syaoran stood steadfast, keeping a watchful eye as Takashi stood at a podium speaking to people.

"To stop us from fulfilling your wish!" Takashi cheered.

Syaoran, Sakura and Meiling stood together, smiling as a young child raced to her parents. A tied up and beaten man was visible in the back of their logo emblazoned van. A phone number flashed on the screen.

"We're ready to serve you!" Sakura and all her friends called out.


	23. Sakura and the Camping Trip of Marriage

"I'm sorry I slept late! I just need another moment to get ready. Just take a seat and I'll be done back in a second so we can go shopping," Sakura blurted out adjusting her clothes while rushing out of her room.

Syaoran nodded, not that she could see his reply. He sat heavily onto her bed and glanced around the room to be sure that Cerberus was still downstairs. He then looked at the mirror. "Sakura, there's something I need to tell you. It's about your attacker. Your mother thinks... Wait! My mother! Argh!"

The teen got up and paced around the room. "'Just tell her.' Easier said than done, Daidouji."

Syaoran now sat down at Sakura's desk. Part of the problem with his mother's suspicions was that Meiling was dead set against telling Sakura until it was proven true. His mother could be wrong. The evidence, while circumstantial, only seemed to support his mother's thoughts. Not telling Sakura could be seen as betrayal, yet telling her would betray Meiling. He shook his head and gazed at the floor.

He didn't immediately notice it, but there was something white peaking out at the base of Sakura's bed that certainly wasn't her pink bedsheets. Without thinking, he picked it up. He blushed realizing these were his girlfriend's panties, and they were still warm. She had worn these to bed and had only changed out of them when he arrived to take her shopping. Even her scent was still upon them.

"SYAORAN-KUN?"

The boy jumped and the panties went flying. By whatever cursed luck of life, the panties bounced off Sakura's head.

"Ah, I, um, well..." Syaoran turned deep red. "Sorry."

Sakura looked to be on the verge of tears. "Why?"

"I... I don't know..." Syaoran trailed off.

"Go," Sakura ordered softly.

"But Sakura I... well... I'm sorry... I-" Syaoran babbled.

Sakura clenched her fists. "GO!"

Syaoran slouched as he got up. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to do that." He then dejectedly walked out of the house.

* * *

**Card Captor Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 23: Sakura and the Camping Trip of Marriage**

**_By: Lord Archive_**

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

Author's Warnings:

This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.

This series contains:

Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

Tomoyo frowned as Sakura swayed in front of her. The girl pleaded for help shopping for the upcoming school trip, yet did not explain why she wasn't going with Syaoran as planned. She wanted to know why, but had yet to figure out a way to approach the issue.

Sakura lifted a pink sleeping bag and compared it to a dark green one. The shades didn't match well yet the girl didn't immediately dismiss the bag.

"If Li-kun picked a lighter green, it could work," Tomoyo noted.

Sakura jumped and then shoved the sleeping bag back. "Why was I comparing it?"

"Don't you want one to match Syaoran's? You are going to be his 'wife' this weekend," Tomoyo noted.

Sakura pouted. "I'm not sure we are a match."

"Of course you are," Tomoyo assured her. "Though you do know that no two people are a perfect match. No matter how much you love someone and no matter how well you work together, you will have arguments"

"We never get into fights," Sakura pointed out.

"If only that was the case," Tomoyo retorted. "You've argued against me video taping you, and I've complained about secrets you've kept from me."

Sakura shook her head. "That's different."

"How is it different?" Tomoyo wondered.

"It's not... disgusting or perverted," Sakura muttered.

Tomoyo frowned. Her friend would have a different opinion if she knew what was on some of the stolen video tapes. "Panty shots and wanting to know what dirty and naughty things you've done with Li-kun."

Sakura growled cutely in frustration. "It's still not the same! He sniffed my dirty panties!"

"While you were wearing them?" Tomoyo wondered.

"Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura squawked.

"Okay, so he picked up your panties and smelled them." Tomoyo folded her arms. "You haven't exactly been meeting his 'needs' lately, have you?"

Sakura blinked. "'Needs?'"

"When was the last time you two had any personal _special_ time?" Tomoyo pressed.

"Hoe!" Sakura blushed. "Ah, haven't really done anything since you were attacked."

"And like the gentleman he is, Li-kun hasn't pushed you to be intimate until you're ready. Just because you're not ready doesn't mean he doesn't want to be with you," Tomoyo pointed out.

Sakura huffed. "And what does that have to do with him doing something so disgusting. It smelled!"

"Yes, it smelled of your naughty parts," Tomoyo teased. "And Li-kun wants to smell those parts directly but you haven't let him so he had to go with the next best thing."

Sakura looked disgusted. "I hope he doesn't want to smell my ass!"

Tomoyo giggled. "That's not what he was trying to smell."

Sakura blinked, then blushed, and finally shrieked, "Hoooooooeeeeeeeeeeee!"

* * *

Syaoran sheepishly waved at Sakura as she walked on the bus, yet in the time it took her to walk to the back of the bus she switched from smiling to frowning and back five times before settling on looking away from him as she sat down next to him. He could feel her unease and could only sigh.

Sakura might not have sat with him had the seating not been predetermined into pairs. Each boy had a girl assigned to him. However as this was 'marriage training weekend camp' it was hardly surprising that there were more girls than boys on it. As such four girls found themselves paired with each other and Rika as the odd girl out would be paired with a teacher.

"So whose the husband?" a boy teased one of the female couples.

"Daidouji likes that role more than me." Meiling patted the boy on the head. "And you had better be a good wife to Sugimoto or she'll kick your ass."

"Hey!" the boy tried to knock Meiling's hand away, but only earned more laughter from those on the bus.

"Settle down everyone," Terada called out as he walked down the isle of the bus, sitting in the very back next to Rika.

Syaoran was a touch surprised to see the elementary school gym teacher helping on a junior high trip, but could guess they needed extra eyes around to make sure students didn't take their fake marriage for the weekend to try to have a not-so-fake honeymoon.  
Teikei now stood at front of the bus. "We will now head out." He shifted as the bus lurched forward. He cleared his voice. "Please take the hand of your partner. Now repeat after me: For this weekend, I thee wed. To work, to learn, and to experience what it means to have a partner in life. I promise to respect my partner and my school, to not do anything that will cause any harm to either.

"You may now shake the hand of your pretend spouse." Teikei was not surprised that had been repeated by a few students. "And to make this clear, it is a pretend marriage. You may not have a pretend 'honeymoon.' That will cause harm to the school and potentially to the girl. This includes you, Yamazaki. It doesn't matter that you both actually are married. This trip is to learn about how to be better partners in life, which is more important to marriage than what happens in the bedroom."

Yamazaki opened his mouth, but his wife immediately had her hand over his mouth and hissed, "Say a word and I'll be a widow."

* * *

The campgrounds consisted of a large field dominated by a long central single story building. The students were instructed to grab their stuff and store it inside the building which was currently set up as a large cafeteria with one end being a good size kitchen, while the rest of it was designed for open and varied uses.

"We will now all break up into groups to accomplish various tasks. You will be working with your partners, so choose which group you will be joining carefully. We will have need for construction, decoration, and cooking," Teikei informed.

Syaoran glanced at Sakura, "Cooking?"

Sakura thought about it for a second and then nodded. She led the way to join that group, which Rika and Terada followed suit.

At the same time Meiling and Tomoyo both said, "Decoration." They broke into giggles and went to their group.

Chiharu and her husband didn't even say a word as they joined the group for construction.

"Bet you want cooking," Asaba commented.

Naoko shook her head, "I don't particularly like any of the options. Decoration is more my speed."

"Cool, I'm good with that," Asaba agreed.

After six couples went to the cooking group, Teikei called out, "Kitchen duty is filled."

More than a few complaints went up at that announcement, most of them from girls complaining to their partner. A few girls dragged their boys to the decoration group in fear of losing that choice. As the remaining couples choose their jobs, neither were declared full.

* * *

"Now there are six dishes that need to be prepared for lunch," the school's home economics teacher, Yamabuki, informed. "As you might guess, each couple will be assigned one dish to make. And don't think choosing rice will be the easy route as we will need to make a large quantity of it."

Syaoran noted that each of the six dishes came with a specific recipe While rice looked the easiest, the real issue would be the weight of the steam trays. He did not want to risk Sakura trying to grab one by herself. "Chicken teriyaki stir fry?"

Sakura nodded and took that recipe from the board. "I'll work on setting up the vegetables, you can work on the chicken."

Syaoran briefly held her hand to look at the paper she held to see how much chicken he needed to grab.

They went to the walk-in refrigerator to collect the ingredients Set themselves up at a pair of small cutting tables. Washed and then gloved their hands. Syaoran worked on removing the bones from the chicken while Sakura rinsed off the peppers.

"You seem distracted."

Sakura jumped and looked at the girl next to her rinsing a large amount of rice. "Ah, Misora-chan, um..."

"Here I thought you two had worked out the issues with Satome and your little flings," Misora commented.

Sakura pouted. "Don't listen to the rumors. I don't know how many times I have to say that it wasn't me."

Misora giggled. "Much like the exaggerated rumors of Hisao breaking up with me."

"Gotoh-kun didn't? Sakura wondered. "But you both were so upset?"

"He blamed me that my parents found out we're lovers. My ears are still ringing from their yelling," Misora joked.

Sakura let out a short laugh. "I think the only people who believe I'm still a virgin are my friends, Syaoran-kun, my brother and one of Syaoran-kun's sisters."

"What about your parents?" Misora wondered.

"I've spent the night at Syaoran-kun's home, and Dad, well, gave me some advice," Sakura almost whispered.

Misora blinked. "Advice?"

"Well, I'm not sure how he meant it, but 'make sure Syaoran-kun takes his time' does make me think," Sakura explained.

Misora laughed. "Wish Hisao had gotten that advice."

Sakura looked at the girl. "What is it like?"

"Intense, pleasurable and personal. That's all you're getting from me on that," Misora told her.

"I understand." Sakura nodded.

"What is the trouble with your boyfriend?" Misora questioned.

Sakura sighed. "It'd sound silly. I walked in on him doing something a tad disgusting and got upset."

"Was he wanking? Pissing in the street?" Misora asked.

Sakura flushed. "No!"

"I sniffed her panties," Syaoran whispered to the girls with a blush. "This isn't the best place for this talk."

Rika giggled. "Oh, I'd say housewives discussing things fit well for this weekend."

"And what of your mysterious older boyfriend?" one girl shot at her.

"I'm willing jail bait if only he'd take the hook," Rika replied with a knowing smile. "We've pledged to wait until the wedding night."

Misora put her hand on Sakura's wrist. "Have you ever sniffed one of Li's shirts?"

"Yeah," Sakura answered uncertainly.

"His smelly, sweat soaked and dirty shirts?" Misora stressed and got a nod in response. "And how is that any less disgusting than smelling the crotch of your panties? The panties likely were cleaner."

Sakura pouted, unable to think of a retort.

Yamabuki looked like her face was about to burst blood from blushing so hard. "Um, let's get back to work. The food won't cook itself."

Terada laughed nervously. "Yes, let's focus on the job at hand."

* * *

Out in the campground field, the students were arranged into groups. Some were busy painting away on large pieces of plywood, while others worked on a skeleton structure of booths that the painted signs would be attached to.

Chiharu looked up as a teacher approached her. "Hello, Benten-sensei."

Takashi glanced over and also gave a quick greeting, before pounding another nail into the post.

Benten gave a grandmotherly smile. "Hello, Yamazaki. You're the fastest couple I've ever seen pick construction."

Chiharu shrugged. "Well, my cooking is passable..."

"For toxic waste," Takashi teased.

Chiharu glared at him. "But it'd be better to leave that to others. As for painting..."

"Her cooking is better," Takashi joked.

Chiharu sighed. "So, holding boards or pounding nails works best for me."

Benten giggled a little. "It's nice to see how well you communicate."

"We've been together since kindergarten. There would be something wrong if I do NOT know her," Takashi pointed out.

"True," Benten conceded. "It's still good to see you working well together."

"We have to. We are married after all," Chiharu replied.

"I have seen many marriages that failed because they forgot the basics to making a marriage work," Benten told them.

Chiharu smiled sadly. "I know. Keeping silent is a good way to be hurt."

Benten nodded. "If you ever need to talk to someone, I'm willing to listen."

"Thanks, but I think we're good now," Chiharu told her.

"Yeah, things are a lot better after we switched roles for a weekend," Takashi added with a knowing smile.

"That's good, best not to forget that it's not easier for the other person, just different," Benten related. "I'll leave you to your work."

The Yamazaki couple nodded and waved goodbye before getting back to building.

Benten wandered amongst the couples. Some had boys trying to impress their partners, other had girls chatting away, and a few were working quietly.

"So, who will be the ones to watch out for?" Teikei questioned.

Benten smirked at him. "And how many times have I told you to keep your eyes on the quiet ones, especially the ones who do not seem nervous. Sakurai and Tendo are too content with each. They are not so different than Yamazaki are, or Gotoh and Misora and we know why they've had issues lately."

Teikei nodded slowly. "I prefer the reaction of Gotoh's and Misora's parents. Forcing children to marry is ridiculous." He folded his arms. "I've talked to Kinomoto's father about her suspected... activities with boys, and he assured me if she slept with anyone, it would've been just with Li."

Benten laughed a little. "Good to see he's not a hypocrite."

Teikei looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"Kinomoto's father was her mother's first year history teacher in high school, and she did not complete the second year as she was married and pregnant," Benten related.

"That helps to make some sense." Teikei shook his head. "Any others I should be worried about?"

"Well, I doubt Daidouji and Li-chan will be having a baby with each other," Benten teasingly joked. "Though it's really hard to say if anything is going on there. Ito and Ishida also Makino and Kasugano may become issues later, but I doubt they'd try anything this weekend."

"Few actually do try," Teikei commented. "I just worry at how many girls here won't finish school."

Benten nodded slowly. "Wish there was some way to protect them from themselves, but we've had a few too many quiet years."

"What do you mean?" Teikei wondered.

"I feel there are more girls at risk of not finishing school from this group than we've had in the last five years combined. Yamazaki, Kinomoto, and Misora are all high risk, Sasaki as well if the rumors are true. Another six girls would not surprise me, and there usually is a girl or two you don't expect to end up with such trouble. Sure, most delay having a baby with abortion, but some of these girls seem to want to have a family despite their age," Benten sadly related.

Teikei shook his head, not liking what she had said. "Any issues of the Satome kind?"

"I didn't know Satome was that much trouble. I'd keep watch on his friends. While we only know of threats of gang rape with them, they may have actually done that," Benten advised.

"They are definitely on my shit list. After I transferred one of them out of our school, the rest have cleaned up their acts. Just one slip up, one violation, and I'll kick them out," Teikei vowed.

* * *

The students all sat at cafeteria tables waiting for the chance to grab diner. Teikei cleared his voice and called for them to all be quiet.

"This weekend is all about giving you a chance to experience what life is like after you finish school. Each of you are being handed a listing of jobs. Each job has a teacher listed with it. Once you finish eating, you will need to see that teacher and interview for the offered position. You do not need to work with your spouse," Teikei began. "You will note that different jobs have different pay rates. You've already earned monetary credits for what you've done today. If all you want is the most basic of foods and don't do any recreation activities, you need not work. However, if you want more than rice, you will want to work. The more monetary credits you earn, the more you can spend it on food, recreation, clothes, or other things- including not having to help tear down what we built today at the end of the weekend. Also, monetary credits are given to couples jointly and how well you do over the weekend will be factored into your grades."

Sakura pouted at the hand-out she was to share with Syaoran. The front page listing much of what the Student Disciplinarian just said, but going into more details about the rules. The next few pages listed all the available jobs, while the last few listed services and prices for them. The monetary credits used hours and minutes of work as the method of value rather than fake yen.

"We're even going to have a movie theater?" Naoko commented, seated next to Sakura.

"With nothing but family movies," Asaba groaned. "We're not little kids."

"Do you honestly expect them to play adult movies?" Naoko shot back at her fake spouse.

Rika giggled from the other side of the table. "What jobs should we be looking at? I think I'll stay with cooking."

Sakura shrugged. "Waitress, I guess."

Chiharu nodded. "I was thinking the same thing."

"The clothing store," Tomoyo added.

"Of course," Naoko commented. "Not sure myself. A nice boring one would be good."

"Gym trainer," Meiling and Syaoran said at the same time, causing the girl to smirk and Sakura's pout to deepen.

* * *

The interviews were winding down and many students were recruited in folding up the cafeteria tables to clear the floor. Teachers were guiding the couples to set up their sleeping bags in boy to girl to girl to boy order so that no girl would end up between two guys.

Sakura immediately took to a spot where she would be sleeping to the right of Syaoran, while Chiharu and Misora were to the left of their beloveds.

"Ah, so you prefer the left side of the bed, Li," Takashi commented.

Syaoran shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me."

Takashi grinned. "Have you ever slept on the other side of Kinomoto?"

Syaoran blinked. "When we were in a coma from that 'accident.'"

Takashi nodded. "You didn't exactly have a choice then. It's actually a proven fact that when a couple first sleeps in the same bed, they will repeatedly take the same sides of the bed they did that night."

Sakura pouted. "This is one of your tales again, isn't it?"

"One of the true ones," Chiharu added. "Regardless of where, I've always gone to the same side, even though it was less convenient for me at his house."

Misora smirked. "Thanks for the warning."

Gotoh grunted in annoyance.

"What if the girl and the guy both want the same side?" Meiling wondered.

"Then it'd be a fight while you sleep, but since you are sleeping it is less a matter of strength and more a battle of wills. You will attempt climb, shove and push your bed mate to the side you want while he defends his," Takashi related.

"That's a lie," Sakura piped in. "Even when we were recovering, at no time did I try to switch places with Syaoran-kun even when it was hard to fall back to sleep."

Takashi laughed guiltily. "It was worth a shot. Actually it's when the _couple_ first shares a bed which side is determined. Most people aren't inclined to use the left or right side when they go to bed. It's something that happens when sharing a bed. Li-chan could be with six guys and be on the left side for half the boys, and the right of the others and they wouldn't necessarily keep their side when sleeping with a different girl."

"Ah." Meiling nodded. "So which side I sleep on is meaningless today."

"Not that you'd be able to tell as you'll be between girls," Tomoyo added with a giggle as she took the side closest to the wall.

* * *

As the sun began to rise, a few of the students began to stir and they quickly took advantage of using the showers on the far side of the building. There would be a long line for them come eight o'clock when everyone would be forced to wake up and get ready for the day.

The sound of two vehicles approaching broke the morning quiet, not that the slumbering teenagers noticed.

Teikei left the building letting Terada and Benten keep watch of the students and looked dumbly at a van backing up next to the clothing shop booth being guided by a woman in a business suit. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Daidouji Tomoyo-hime expressed her desire to have her van brought here," the woman replied, motioning for the van to stop. She then walked up to the back doors and opened them, revealing the sides of the vans had racks of clothes. "She said something about needing to run a clothing store and wanted a full inventory to work from along with the appropriate tools."

"Oh, good, you're here already." Tomoyo walked up to them drying her hair, having been among the first to wake up.

"Care to explain this?" Teikei demanded.

"Well, I put a call for my designing van after I saw what little inventory I would be working with after that one girl realized she had forgotten to pack her pajamas. What she got was hardly fitting for her in both fashion and size. With this I'll be able to offer her more alternatives and do a better job running the store. I'm sure you don't want her flashing everyone her underwear again," Tomoyo explained. "Of course you will be in charge of the keys."

"You do realize anything you sell will not be reimbursed," Teikei intoned.

Tomoyo smiled. "Of course, but this gives me a chance to work with girls and guys of all sorts of sizes, not just beautiful models. So it will be a useful learning experience if I decide to enter fashion design fully after finishing school."

Teikei frowned. "The van does offer issues..."

"True." Tomoyo nodded. "However the van shakes too easily." She pressed down on the bumper to emphasize it's movements. "Besides this is my workplace on the road. I hardly want anyone to make a mess in it. And as I said, you will have the keys. If you suspect any inappropriate behavior, you have full access to the van."

Teikei mulled it over and then glanced at a group of students who were watching them in confusion, his gaze focused on one girl wearing glaring pink pajamas that were two sizes too large for her. "I will allow it, Daidouji, but your first customer won't garner extra hourly notes. Tenkawa, come here. Daidouji will fix your pajamas."

The small teenage girl rushed toward them, hands tightly gripping the waist band of the pajama bottoms.

Tomoyo clapped her hands together. "That shade of pink simply doesn't work with your dark features. Let's see if I can find you a better look so you're weekend husband won't mind not seeing what he shouldn't see."

Tenkawa blushed and nodded.

* * *

Syaoran sat deep in thought next to a sign with an unflattering and misshaped image of a body builder that marked where the 'gym' was. Unfortunately, his pay largely depended on having students. While not everyone was working currently, no one had yet to approach for exercise training.

"I didn't think you had it in you," Meiling chirped devilishly.

Syaoran merely glared at her.

"Sniffing her panties, really? You must be deprived," Meiling teased.

"Shut it," Syaoran barked.

"Well, meditating isn't going to cure your frustrations. Spar with me." Meiling moved into the ready stance. "We might be able to attract attention for the gym."

"Fine." Syaoran got up and waited for Meiling to make the first move. She attacked almost immediately.

"What is with you two?" Meiling asked mid-swing. "I know that Satome attacking Daidouji messed things up for Kinomoto, but you two haven't gotten your act together yet."

Syaoran scowled, his kick a touch sloppy, not that the growing spectators would notice. "It's none of your business."

"You dumped me for her and she's trying to be family, how is that NOT my business," Meiling retorted along with a palm strike that missed.

"And what about the secret you want me to keep from her?" Syaoran growled, pressing an angry series of attacks.

The audience gasped more at the comment than the furious attack.

"Because your mother is wrong," Meiling shot back, as she took out his legs. "It can't be true."

Syaoran flipped back to his feet. Words dying on his lips as pushing the issue would announce it to those watching. "I'm going to have to say something to Sakura soon. Not telling her isn't helping."

Meiling whipped out an attack and stopped herself short of hitting her cousin. While not clear to the spectators, the strike could've killed if she hit him with enough force.

Syaoran and Meiling took a few steps away from each other and bowed respectfully.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" a boy from a different classroom called out.

"Beginning lessons are one hour notes per session per person," Syaoran informed.

Seven of the ten spectators stepped forward, notes in hand.

* * *

Chiharu was ready to pull out her hair. For whatever stupid reason she wasn't just hired as a waitress but was made manager of the cafeteria. Sure Yamabuki-sensei was watching over everything to make sure things didn't get out of hand and no one got hurt, but that's all she did.

"Why didn't you stir the mix?" Chiharu questioned.

"I was just going to flip it," the girl replied.

Chiharu gave her an annoyed look. "It's burnt at the bottom. We can't serve it."

"Why not?" the girl replied. "It's just for a couple jerks."

"Try that attitude with a real job and see how long you're employed," Chiharu sniped. "Remake it."

"That's just the point, this is not 'real.' I'm never going to have to do this sort of shit for a living." The girl took off her apron and threw it at Chiharu. "You remake it. I'm out of here."

Chiharu bit back a scream.

Yamabuki stepped forward. "Save what she 'cooked.' It may just be her breakfast Sunday morning."

Chiharu blinked. "Huh?"

"We're not going to starve anyone, but chances are the ones who don't take this seriously will have no notes for food before the weekend is over. As such food issues like this end up being used to feed them," Yamabuki explained. "And if she thinks she's getting full notes for this, she is rather mistaken."

"Ah." Chiharu nodded. A nice bit of ironic revenge for the girl. Still she was down a cook.

"Chiharu-chan?" Sakura called out.

"Sorry, the order for table two will take a bit longer. We need to remake their order," Chiharu quickly replied.

"That's Rika-chan's table," Sakura reminded. "It's more that Asaba-kun hasn't come back from the bathroom yet. It's been almost an hour and we've got three deliveries sitting here."

Yamabuki smirked. "And there's another one who won't be getting full notes either."

"Did you want me to run them?" Sakura wondered. "I only have one table at the moment. Rika-chan can cover it."

"Yes. Thank you!" Chiharu let out a long breath. "Two more hours and I can drop this mess on Misora-san."

* * *

"Are you doing the deliveries for the cafeteria? I thought Shinji had that job," Naoko wondered.

Sakura smiled sheepishly as she stopped at Naoko's shop, a 'travel agency.' "He disappeared on us after only doing two runs."

Naoko shook her head. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Did you want to place an order?" Sakura wondered. "I can't promise how long it'll take as we've also lost a cook."

Naoko thought for a second. "May as well order now so I'm not starving later. Sweet and sour chicken, and hold the peppers if you can. A cream soda would be great as well."

Sakura jotted it down on a notepad. "How are things going for you here?"

"Done with next month's chapter and tossing around ideas for later use," Naoko replied holding up a notebook. "In other words, nice and boring. I've only had a few stop by and ask what sort of travel packages I have. None of them are cheap enough to get without working."

Sakura blinked. "What sort of packages do you have?"

"Rowboat rentals, romantic walk to a waterfall, and get out of shop take-down time alone with your spouse," Naoko related. "The last obviously being the most expensive as it offers the best chance to not fake being husband and wife."

"Naoko-chan..." Sakura blushed and fidgeted "Well your order won't get made with me still here. I'll see you later."

* * *

"You just can't go through the motion, you have to put power behind it. Imagine the person you hate the most where you're punching," Syaoran advised a girl.

"Megumi," the girl replied.

"Huh?" Syaoran wondered if that was who she hated.

"You can call me 'Megumi,' Li-sensei," the girl giggled.

"That would not be appropriate," Syaoran replied.

"You're not really a teacher and you don't need to be so formal," Megumi teased.

"I am qualified to teach martial arts," Syaoran returned.

"Really? You're a full master?" Megumi chirped in delight.

Syaoran nodded.

"Still doesn't mean you've got to be so stiff..." Megumi gave him a seductive look. "...Well, not all of you."

"Huh?" Syaoran blinked in confusion then felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Why don't you take a break for lunch? I'll finish up here," Meiling suggested.

Syaoran shrugged. "Thanks."

Megumi pouted as the boy walked off.

"My cousin may be clueless, but you're barking up the wrong tree," Meiling told the girl. "He already has a girlfriend."

Megumi smirked. "If no one was seeing him, then there has to be something wrong with him. And it's not like they're engaged."

"Officially, no." Meiling shook her head. "They may as well be, though."

Megumi's eyes gleamed as if taking on the challenge.

* * *

"Tomoyo-chan, this is too much," Sakura complained weakly.

"I'm supposed to tip you," Tomoyo asserted.

"Ten maybe twenty percent, not over fifty," Sakura returned.

"You're putting in a double shift now. You deserve extra." Tomoyo motioned towards the three girls excitedly going through her dresses. "Besides, business has been good and I've made more than I need already."

Sakura pouted. Her eyes darting towards the trees behind the van. "All right... Enjoy your lunch."

Tomoyo nodded and waved good-bye as Sakura rushed to her next delivery. After a few questions from the shoppers, she got a chance to open her lunch. There were two full dinners in the bag. She took one and set it on the hood of the van and then opened the other. The one on the hood seemingly disappeared.

"Sakura-chan knows you're here," Tomoyo noted.

Kurogane's voice grunted from the shadow of the trees. "Not surprised."

"You really didn't have to come. This is not a good place to attack Sakura-chan. Too many witnesses, and too much risk to include Li-kun and Meiling-chan," Tomoyo pointed out.

"That would be assuming the enemy doesn't have mind control abilities. It would not be difficult to sway a boy's mind to try to take advantage of Kinomoto, and then it would be a matter of the presence of witnesses being an advantage," Kurogane countered.

Tomoyo frowned. "You do have a point. However, why are you near me instead of Sakura-chan then?"

"Kinomoto does not remain in one place and this offers the best vantage point," Kurogane explained.

"There are better positions than being here. You can't observe the entrances to the bathrooms from here," Tomoyo retorted. "Now what's the real reason?"

"If the goal is to hurt Kinomoto the most, it would be by making you have sex with her boyfriend," Kurogane muttered out.

Tomoyo blinked, blood draining from her face. That would be... pure evil. And she could not deny that could be an actual tactic. The incident with Reiko's ghost had already tarnished Sakura's name. Even if someone manipulated her to 'cheat' on Li, while it would hurt them it would change little of their situation. The betrayal Kurogane suggested would strike far deeper.

* * *

The day of business came to an end for the students. They were all inside the building and in the process of setting out their sleeping bags.

Teikei called out to get everyone's attention. "We are halfway done with the weekend. Teachers are handing out the pay you have earned today. A few may find more than expected for services rendered, more will find less for not taking your job seriously. Some of you have done very well, showing you are prepared to enter life after studies. Daidouji and Li Meiling have run away with the most money earned, and yet both plan to work tomorrow. Usually at this time only one or two couple are in position to earn enough to not have to work the tear down on Sunday. Daidouji and Li can already afford that, and five other couples are poised to earn enough tomorrow to follow suit.

"Many of you, however, have to rely on your partner to eat anything besides rice tomorrow. While girls may be able to survive by marrying a man with means, guys are rarely so lucky to find a girl able to support them. And a few couples have already run through all of their money and will only be having rice and water for breakfast."

As students were opening envelopes, there were more than a few cries of protest, whether at decreased pay or lack of work done by their partner.

"Settle down!" Teikei barked. "For those you needing work tomorrow, I suggest talking to teachers to try and get a job. As for individuals who find their partner greatly lacking, there is a way to annul your partnership. Talk to the teacher that employed you if you wish to finish the weekend alone."

It came as no surprise that teachers were immediately swarmed for either work or to get a divorce.

* * *

Sudden and violent movement caused a few students to awake and drew the attention of the two teachers on watch.

Nothing was said as Syaoran pulled the still slumbering yet thrashing Sakura onto his lap.

"Cover her mouth," Tomoyo regretfully advised.

"Huh?" Syaoran blinked. "Oh." No sooner than his hand clamped over her lips, her muffled screams managed to wake a few more students and teachers.

Sakura's eyes shot open and her eyes frighteningly darted around the room before fixating on Syaoran and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"Kinomoto, are you all right?" Terada questioned.

Sakura nodded, head still buried into her boyfriend's shoulder. "Just a nightmare."

Tomoyo sighed. "One she has been having for a while."

Teikei frowned at what the girl said. Whether the nightmare was about Satome hurting her, reliving Reiko's death, some combination of that or something different- he could not be sure. The girl had enough reasons to have nightmares. "Would getting some air help you?"

Sakura nodded, slowly and shakily pulling away from Syaoran yet did not completely let go of him. He quickly stood up and began to guide her toward the door with Tomoyo following behind them.

"I'll keep an eye on them," Terada vowed.

"I'm sorry," Sakura apologized with a flickering gaze at the numerous questioning looks cast at her.

"Try to get back to sleep," Teikei advised quietly, scanning the students and taking a quick head count to make sure none of the students snuck out during the disturbance.

The cool crisp air allowed the girl to shake away the remnants of her dream.

Terada smirked at the nervousness Li was casting toward him. "You don't have to worry about me. Nothing said will get back to the others."

"Besides, Rika-chan, that is," Tomoyo's attempt to tease fell flat to own ears. She shook her head. "He's Rika-chan's fiance and he already knows about Sakura-chan's magic."

Syaoran stared at the now sheepish looking teacher. "Oh..." He shook his head. There was a more important matter at hand. "Do you remember anything more?"

Sakura pouted at him, pulling away from him completely. "I... nothing specifically."

"What do you mean?" Tomoyo pressed.

"It's just a feeling..." Sakura clenched her hand over her chest. "When the dream ended I felt... hatred... pure hatred."

"Was it the enemy's hatred?" Syaoran wondered.

Sakura shook her head slowly. "That hatred... was all mine. I still don't know why, but whoever I was facing, I hated him... hated him more than I ever felt for Satome."

* * *

The kitchen was thankfully more organized the second day. Chiharu found herself doing less as the girls and one guy took care of all the orders as they came in. Still she kept watch to make sure everything was kept in order.

"Yamazaki-chan, why are you taking this all so seriously?" a girl asked as she was rising a batch of rice.

Chiharu shrugged weakly. "Because I'm likely to be doing this for real in a few years, Tendo-san."

"Don't trust your husband to support you?" Tendo replied.

Chiharu wagged her finger. "He won't be able to fully support me and any children we have until after college. That's over six years of mounting bills." She then pouted. "And that's assuming nothing happens to him. Anything can happen and it's best I'm prepared for that."

Tendo shook water out of the rice bin. "What could happen?"

"He could be hurt or get sick. My father was only thirty-eight when he died from his illness, which has left little money from my side of the family beyond my house," Chiharu pointed out.

Tendo frowned. "You're really putting my notion of you having a dream romance to bed."

Chiharu laughed. "We may be grade school sweethearts, but nothing has ever been picture perfect. The entire reason I'm married now was because my father was dying. Not to mention that I was hardly ready for everything marriage entails, and I'm not just talking about sex. Marriage changes things. I can no longer think of things in the here and now for myself. I have to keep the future in mind for Takeshi, myself, and our families. My life is no longer my own."

Tendo busily loaded and set the steamer before she sighed. "You've given me a bit to think about. It's because I heard you got married that I even gave it a chance, considering my family has been friends with my boyfriend's for years. I've known him so long, we've even bathed together when we were little."

Chiharu looked at the girl quizzically. "And you don't think of him as a brother?"

"Did you?" Tendo wondered.

Chiharu nodded slowly. "A bit, especially when... well, when the question of sex first came around."

"Well, I understand that feeling. The first time I kissed Taiki for real, it felt weird. I still might have issues if he had not reminded me of a promise we made when we were four that he still fully intends to fulfill. That we'd love each other forever." Tendo held a hand to her chest. "He devoted himself to me... He made me feel special in a way I've never felt before. If it was anyone else, he would've been one scary stalker."

Chiharu giggled. "I could say the same for Takeshi. I've only recently learned that he put me first in his life even before we were engaged. I suppose your parents support your relationship."

Tendo gave a curt nod. "They are rather happy we've started dating and I doubt we'd get in trouble if we became lovers."

"Ah." Chiharu shook her head. "Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Trust me, rushing into things can cause all sorts of problems, and I'm not just talking about my own experience."

Tendo motioned toward the other end of the kitchen where Sakura was putting in an order. "Is that her problem with Li-kun? Did they rush?" Tendo wondered.

Chiharu shook her head. "The problems they face are more from others."

"It's a shame that they can't make the most of this weekend. Last night Li-kun was so tender with Kinomoto-san, and yet today they've still hardly talked at all," Tendo observed.

"Yeah... I doubt the so called 'panty incident' is the reason they're having issues right now. It's just an excuse." Chiharu sighed. "I'm not even sure what the real problem is. I just wish all of Sakura-chan's problems would go away. It has been too long since she truly smiled."

Tendo smiled slightly. "She just needs to fall in love with him again, like I have with my boyfriend."

Chiharu nodded.

* * *

As the hour was coming to an end, Syaoran observed his current batch of students. He was allowed to show them the basics and have them practice some forms, however he could not let them spar against each other. 'Too much risk of injury,' was the reasoning. Without that risk, there would be no improvement, no real learning.

Syaoran's observation of his students was interrupted by some guy calling out, "Li-kun, why do you put up with that bitch?" The reply was a harsh glare to the tall basketball player.

The students immediately stopped to watch.

Yoshikawa walked right up to the boy. "She went around fucking the jocks all because she thought you screwed your cousin. Don't go saying that bullshit that she didn't or give that lame ass excuse that it was Reiko's ghost possessing her. I know better. I was one of the guys who got to screw her. And now she's all upset at you for sniffing her panties because she's not giving you anything? She's using you, Li-kun. Taking you for whatever presents you buy her. Once a richer guy comes along, you'll be out on the curb."

Syaoran clenched his hands and teeth tightly, very much wanting to castrate the guy. Fifteen different ways passed through his head, half of them causing potentially lethal injury as well. He had to remind himself that the jock wasn't worth the trouble he'd get in. "Believe as you want, it won't change the truth."

"Nor will deluding yourself. Don't say no one warned you. She might not be putting out now, but what about the next time she decides you're a jerk?" Yoshikawa turned around. "I'd understand if she let you tap her fine ass, but she's not."

Syaoran could feel himself growling. He was thankful Meiling was not around as she would've done some unpleasant things to Yoshikawa.

"Ah, Li-kun?" one of his students questioned.

Syaoran glanced at the clock above the main entrance of the building. "Hour is up. Meiling will handle the next session when she gets back."

"Have you really not done anything with Kinomoto-chan?" the student pressed. "Even if she was possessed, there's still five guys who got to see and fuck her. That hardly seems fair."

Syaoran laughed bitterly. "Fair to me or to her? That a half-dozen guys have touched her body without her permission."

"So, Satome did get her," another boy surmised.

Syaoran did not reply.

The lone girl of the group frowned deeply. "So that's why she's having... issues. Guys have done perverted things to her and now she's... scared, isn't she?"

Syaoran nodded.

"It's time for lunch, let's go," one of them commented and the group left.

Syaoran wasn't exactly pleased that Terada was waving him over now.

"You showed a remarkable amount of restraint. I don't know if I'd be the same if someone said that about my fiancee." Terada frowned. "I don't think I'm the only one who overheard."

Syaoran muttered a curse seeing Sakura running straight for the clothing store and Tomoyo. If she had run anywhere else he would've given chase. He finally muttered out, "It's because I don't blame Yoshikawa. If I didn't know the real truth, what he said makes a lot more sense. And what guy wouldn't have sex with her if they didn't already have a girlfriend?"

Terada chuckled. "Understanding and accepting are two different things. You still wanted to punt him through a wall."

"Castrate, actually." Syaoran frowned. "Don't repeat that. Sakura would get upset."

"Yeah, I know, considering Satome," Terada agreed.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "How much have you been told?"

"Probably as much as my beloved knows," Terada replied.

Syaoran gazed over the grounds. Where they were standing and the noise, it was unlikely they would be overheard. 'Unlikely' didn't mean that no one could be eaves dropping. "How did you end up with her, anyway?"

Terada chuckled lightly. "The same way you ended up with Kinomoto, unexpectedly finding myself in love with someone that, well..."

"Didn't seem possible to fall in love with given the situations," Syaoran finished.

Terada nodded. "Kinomoto was your rival in a contest. With me, well you know. It was not a good idea, yet still, here I am." He sighed. "If you asked me before I graduated, I would've told you there was no way I'd ever love someone like my fiancee. I know when the truth gets out there will be trouble, that I should have walked away from her, I just can't."

"We don't know why Sakura is being attacked. One of the theories is that whoever is responsible wants to break up my relationship with her. That if I walked away from her, she would no longer be at risk," Syaoran admitted.

"I can see that." Terada kept his eyes off Syaoran to maintain his watch over the students. "Yet walking away from Kinomoto is the last thing you want to do."

"Almost the last thing," Syaoran corrected, with no need to say what that would be. "We've been through so much already, she's lost too much. I can't walk away now. It would make all the pain she has faced already meaningless." He clenched his fist. "I just wish the worst of it was over."

"Yet the worst may yet to come," Terada feared for them. "The nightmare would suggest that it hasn't."

* * *

Tomoyo frowned as Sakura suddenly barreled into her, sobbing. She looked over at her assistant. "I'll be back shortly."

The girl merely nodded dumbly as Tomoyo guided Sakura around the van.

Sakura bit back a sob. "Kurogane-san... can anyone see us?"

A gruff, "No," came from the tree above the girls.

"Twin make a copy of us and Illusion cover us as we go into the forest, release," Sakura intoned quietly.

Tomoyo shook her head as now she was the one being lead away, far enough that Kurogane should not be able to hear them. "So... you know about my boyfriend."

Sakura nodded. "I'm glad to see he's watching after you. I was afraid you were dating him was just to get me another bodyguard."

Tomoyo smirked sadly. "Wish I could say there wasn't some truth to that."

"Yet he's here protecting you, not me," Sakura persisted.

Tomoyo could correct her friend, but this was not a time to tell her. "You did not come to talk to me about my love life."

Sakura found a fallen log and sat heavily on to it. "Yes, the problem is with mine. I haven't been fair to Syaoran-kun, have I?"

Tomoyo looked at her friend thoughtfully. "What do you mean by that?"

"I got so upset over him sniffing my panties, yet other guys have seen 'me' naked and even done things." Sakura squeezed her hands tightly together. "I've even seen him."

"That may not sound fair to him, but neither has it been fair to you," Tomoyo returned. "You didn't ask for any of that to happen."

"I know that, but shouldn't I be doing more for Syaoran-kun?" Sakura wondered.

Tomoyo leveled her gaze at her best friend. "And repeat Chiharu-chan's mistake?"

Sakura blinked in surprise. "What do you mean by that?"

Tomoyo frowned and looked away. "When Chiharu-chan was first with Yamazaki-kun... she wasn't ready. She let herself be with him for his needs even though she didn't want to. And when he learned he had been hurting her, he was hurt as well. Is that what you want? To hurt Li-kun just so he can feel fleeting pleasure?"

"No!" Sakura shook her head fiercely. "NO! I don't want to hurt him!"

"You will if you don't share in love and pleasure," Tomoyo insisted.

Sakura bowed her head. "Maybe it would be better if we just ended it."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Why would you even think that?"

Sakura scuffed the dirt. "Not being with Syaoran-kun is hurting him as well. And... all the talk about our future. Dad mentioned I was trying to decide what career choices I'm interested in doing that only a few of us will do what we listed on that assignment. The one 'career' I wanted to list was Syaoran-kun's housewife. What if when I get older... I don't love him anymore. I had loved Yukito-san, I really had, yet now I don't see him as anything more than as a brother."

Tomoyo gazed at her friend thoughtfully. "Yes... in time things may change. But which would you regret more: taking your chance at love and failing or not running away from it when you had the chance? Playing it safe will help keep you from being hurt, but where will the joy in your life come from? Your brother would certainly approve of you being a coward in love, to never have a boyfriend."

Sakura pouted. "He would like that, but I certainly wouldn't."

"And that question of uncertainty will come up for any boyfriend you ever have," Tomoyo pointed out.

Sakura sighed. "But I don't want any other boyfriend."

Tomoyo poked Sakura's chest, "Then don't continue this silly talk of ending it with Li-kun. Instead work on what's truly troubling you so you can be with him fully."

Sakura pouted. "If only that was something easy to do."

Tomoyo smiled knowingly. "The best things in life are worth fighting for."

Sakura nodded with a sense of determination.

A glint formed in Tomoyo's eye. "And I know just a way to help."

* * *

The rowboat rocked as Syaoran guided the boat out to the middle of the small lake. "Wouldn't it have been better to save our money and not have to deal with take down tomorrow."

"I didn't pay for it, Tomoyo-chan did." Sakura looked away. "She thought we could use are remaining time this weekend better if we talked sooner."

Syaoran frowned. "She didn't have to do that."

"Tomoyo-chan made it clear she didn't need the money. When she rented the boat for us, she paid to have herself and Meiling-chan exempt from tearing down everything tomorrow and she still has enough to get meals for two."

Syaoran blinked. "You mean for Meiling-chan as well?"

Sakura looked confused and then squeaked. "Hoooooeeee! I mean for Kurogane-san. He's hiding in the trees behind Tomoyo-chan's clothing store."

"Ah, you just surprised me with how you said it," Syaoran commented.

Sakura flushed a little. "Sorry. But it is good to see that Kurogane-san isn't here just to help protect me when he's keeping a constant eye on her."

Syaoran grimaced. "You do know that she could be a target as well? That hurting her would be a blow to you as well."

Sakura gave a shallow nod.

"Sakura..." Syaoran called out, words dying on his lips.

"I'm sorry," Sakura blurted. "I shouldn't have gotten so upset. I... I don't even know why it bothered me so much." She laughed nervously. "I had such perverted thoughts of you sniffing the clothes I left at your place."

"You know I've never touched them. I still don't even know why I even picked them up," Syaoran professed.

"Don't you know?" Sakura wondered.

Syaoran shook his head. "Not really... Maybe I was hoping to have a fight with you so I wouldn't have to tell you..."

Sakura blinked and began to twitch nervously. "Tell me what?"

"Mother believes she knows who is behind the attacks..." Syaoran trailed off.

Sakura quickly relaxed and then bowed her head. "Oh."

"Meiling doesn't want me to tell you who that is," Syaoran reluctantly added.

Sakura's eyes widened and then she looked down and almost whispered, "Don't tell me."

"Huh?" Syaoran uttered.

A little more firmly she repeated, "Don't tell me."

Syaoran looked at her in surprise. "But Sakura..."

"I have a few ideas myself," Sakura admitted. "I didn't want to say anything about it either, especially if you didn't suspect it." She swallowed nervously. "I know there's a chance... someone in your family might be responsible. If that is the case and the likely reason... I... I don't want to put a face to the enemy and then learn we were wrong."

Syaoran looked at her in surprise. He suddenly burst out laughing.

Sakura pouted at him. "What's so funny?"

"I've been dreading telling you of Mother's suspicions for so long, and you already had that much figured out. And I suddenly thought of all the times Hiragizawa played us for fools. We should've at least suspected him, yet I got jealous and you'd look obviously cute when he played his games."

Sakura leaned forward. "'Obliviously?'"

"'Oblivious CUTE," Syaoran stressed. "I was clueless as well."

"You know you can still be clueless." Sakura grabbed him by the shirt and gave him a quick peck on the lips, hoping no one noticed.

* * *

Saturday came to an end and Teikei once again addressed the students as they prepared their sleeping bags for the night. "I would like to congratulate Daidouji and Li Meiling for breaking all records, even if done in a bit of an unorthodox method in Daidouji's case by bringing outside material to the weekend. However, such competition and surprises can happen in real life. Don't expect others to play by the rules, regardless of the type of job you have in the future. I'd also like to congratulate Li Syaoran and Kinomoto, Gotoh and Misora, along with Kanzaki and Mizuhara for also earning and saving enough so they will not have to participate in the take down. Orimoto, having divorced her partner for the weekend, has also earned enough today to avoid the work as well. Let's give them a round of applause for their accomplishment."

After a the polite clapping ended, Teikei continued, "Now some of you, are completely broke. Not even a quarter hour note to use for breakfast tomorrow. There will be one last chance to earn notes so you won't be limited to rice for lunch. Those of you who need to earn money, go see a teacher about remaining job openings for tomorrow. Jobs will be given to those who need it most first. Those of you who are close to earning being out of tear down may still get a chance to qualify. Any unused notes from the weekend can be redeemed for certain rewards at school, including the purchase of food or candy from the school cafeteria."

Naoko glared at her boyfriend. "If you had done your share we wouldn't have to work tear down either."

"With crappy deliveries and no tips, I wouldn't have made enough even if I had stuck around," Asaba defended.

Sakura blushed. "I did quite well when I took over for the deliveries."

Asaba glanced at her. "Gee, I wonder why a cute girl would do so much better than me at getting tips."

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him.

"You seem to be in a better mood now," Naoko observed.

Sakura giggled. "Apparently Syaoran-kun and I were keeping the same secret from each other."

Meiling blinked. "What do you mean by that?"

Sakura pouted. "I'd rather not get into that, especially here."

"She had the same thoughts as mother in regards to a certain problem, just without the specifics," Syaoran told her.

"Which I still don't know, nor care too," Sakura added.

Meiling huffed. "I think the whole idea is garbage."

Tomoyo couldn't help but smile. "Well, it's good you've worked that out. I've had my suspicions as well and didn't want to voice them."

"Nor did I, because it would be bad if I was wrong." Sakura shook her head. "Besides, there could still be other options."

Asaba glared at them. "What are you talking about?"

Sakura became flustered. "Um, well, er... you see... ah..."

Tomoyo leveled her gaze at him. "It's a secret that was being kept from Sakura-chan and it involves her. You can hardly expect us to tell you when Naoko-chan doesn't even know of it."

Naoko tapped her chin. "Maybe not _know_ about it, but if I'm reading between the lines the right way, I believe I have an idea what this secret is." She turned to her boyfriend. "And no, I won't even tell you what my suspicion is. It would be harmful even if I'm right, and more so if I'm wrong."

Rika looked over her friends in confusion "I have no clue what you're all talking about.

Chiharu let out a slight chuckle. "Think I'm better off having missed what they were saying."

* * *

Tomoyo laid on a beach blanket, enjoying the sun. She almost dozed away when Sakura took the spot next to her, still wet from a swim. Her friend seemed content but then frowned, shrugged, frowned and shrugged again. "Something bothering you?"

Sakura blinked. "What do you mean?"

Tomoyo gave her a wry smile. "I know you're thinking about something."

Sakura looked around and saw they were relatively alone before she sighed. "I don't know. I, ah, kind of thought Syaoran-kun had been nervous about something else."

"Something else?" Tomoyo wondered.

"Well, I mean, we did just have that future jobs assignment and now this marriage weekend..." Sakura trailed off.

"OH!" Tomoyo chirped. "You thought he might ask to make the weekend for real as his fiancee."

"Well... yeah. And I was nervous because he was nervous and well... I was being silly," Sakura finished with a pout. She then shrugged. "At least I don't have to worry about that just yet."

Tomoyo nodded. "I don't think you were entirely wrong to think that. With Li-kun, he's the type of guy who'd ask with a weekend like this, after lots of planning to make it perfect." She then paused in thought. "Or right after he makes love to you."

Sakura flushed. "It's mostly the last one that I still don't feel ready for and if we were truly engaged..."

"You'd feel more obligated." Tomoyo shook her head. "And I suppose telling you what I told Chiharu-chan would be just as meaningless."

"What did you tell her?" Sakura wondered.

"Mostly that just because it was expected that she would be with him, it didn't mean she had to do it. That if she felt uncomfortable, she should stop." Tomoyo frowned deeply.

Sakura shared the frown. "And even though she was... she didn't stop it."

"Yes," Tomoyo answered simply.

Sakura turned over on her beach towel. "I suppose I'm not in all that different situation now as she was then."

"I know you feel pressure to be with him. That everyone thinks you've already slept with him or those other boys. But the only ones you need to truly worry about is Li-kun and yourself. It doesn't matter what others say. Only go as far as you're comfortable with," Tomoyo advised.

"That may sound simple, but I don't think it's that easy," Sakura replied.

Tomoyo let out a sad laugh. "Chiharu-chan said much the same to me."

* * *

The sun began to set and tear down had been finished. The various store signs were broken and set up into a pile. All of the students and teachers were gathered before the plywood.

Teikei moved before the stack of wood. "For most of you, when these stores are set to fire, it will be the end to weekend and your marriages. For others it may be a preview of what life will hold for them, particularly for Yamazaki. Some of you may well end up truly married to the partner you had for the weekend, and others who believe they will marry their partner may soon find different love interests. Regardless, I hope you take the experiences of this weekend to heart. If you took the weekend seriously, you will come to find the experience to be helpful in the future."

Terada lit a torch and tossed it onto the pile of wood.

"Once again you are single. Whether you continue your time with your partner or mingle with others is up to you," Teikei finished, and a teacher proceeded to turn on a radio and a love song was playing.

Sakura blinked as Syaoran immediately grabbed her hand and guided her to into a dance. "I didn't think you'd be so quick to dance."

"I just wanted to tell you this bonfire is not the end," Syaoran vowed.

Sakura blushed. "W-What do you mean?"

"I don't care if someone in my family objects, or anyone else for that matter. The only ones who have a say is us, and I want to be with you always," Syaoran pledged.

Sakura leaned her head against his chest. "And here I thought you were about to propose."

Syaoran's eyes widened. "I... ah... well... um..."

"Good." Sakura giggled. "I'm not ready for that either. I do hope to marry you someday, but let's just take it all one step at a time."

Syaoran smiled. "Yes."

There were those who looked upon the scene and smiled, and others who scowled in jealousy.

* * *

Coming Next:

Chapter 24: Sakura and the Return to the Summer Cabin Sakura returns to where she met a kindly old man.

Author's Notes:

This took a LOT longer to finish than expected as the first few scenes were written a year before the final ones. There were quite a few distractions, many of which are over. Hopefully I'll have a more regular release assuming more distraction don't pop up.

* * *

OMAKE! OMAKE! OMAKE! OMAKE! OMAKE!

"You want me to what?"

"Capture the cards you let loss on the world!" the stuffed animal retorted.

"And how was I to know opening the book would do that?" was the retort.

The small lion-like creature waved it's paw. "You still caused it!"

"Look here, I wasn't the one asleep at the wheel!"

The window shattered as an unimaginable gust of wind blasted the house followed by an ear piercing screech.

"What the hell was that?"

"The Fly card!" the plushy informed. "Let's go, Card Captor Ichigo!"

"Don't call me that!" Ichigo growled.

"If we don't hurry, it'll cause even more damage!" the magical creature insisted.

"Fine." Ichigo looked at the wand he had been given. "But why does this have to be PINK?"

The creature beckoned him from the window. "Because Urahara is a twisted person. Now let's go!"

"Just because I'm helping with this one doesn't mean I agree to be a card captor, Kon." Ichigo jumped out the window and reluctantly began an adventure that would change his life.

Ichigo and Kon are from Bleach and belongs to Tite Kubo and Shounen Jump, all rights reserved.

More scenes of this may follow, particularly intro of Syaoran's replacement: Rukia.


	24. Sakura & the Return to the Summer Cabin

"Hello, Grandfather," Sonomi greeted as she sat down across from the man at a high-class restaurant.

The elderly British man smiled at her. "Ah, good afternoon, Sonomi-chan."

"I've brought the second quarter earnings reports," Sonomi informed.

"Now, Sonomi-chan, there's no reason to jump straight into business," her grandfather replied.

Sonomi frowned. "Then why have you called me out here? I have a lot of business to take care of."

"Here I thought your brush with death changed your priorities," her grandfather commented.

"They have changed. Once the tasks are completed I was hoping to spend some time with my daughter, maybe Sakura-chan as well," Sonomi explained.

Her grandfather nodded. "And how are my great-granddaughters?"

"It's hardly a secret that Tomoyo-chan started to date Kuogane-san to have him around to help with Sakura-chan's problem." Sonomi sighed as she shook her head. "However, his devotion seems to go beyond the job at hand. He spent the entire weekend watching her, not Sakura-chan."

He chuckled. "She could choose a far worse companion than Kurogane."

"Do you know what he does for a living?" Sonomi questioned.

"Private investigator, body guard, assassin, whatever that is needed of him," her grandfather answered. "I've done business with his family in the past. They do not take jobs for the money. They take them because it is the right thing to do and they won't accept immoral commissions."

"That may be so, but do you really want sweet Tomoyo-chan part of that life?" Sonomi returned.

The old man gazed through his granddaughter. "You know very well Tomoyo-chan already took steps into his world of her own choice."

"Don't remind me," Sonomi bitterly replied.

Her grandfather sighed. "And what about Sakura-chan?"

Sonomi pouted, but was thankful of the change in conversation. "Apparently she got nervous thinking her boyfriend would propose to her. He had been getting increasingly agitated. He wanted to tell her a secret concerning her main problem, a secret she had already largely figured out. Because of what others have done she does not feel ready to be engaged even though she hopes to marry him someday."

"'Engaged' and 'fiancee' are mere words." He shook his head. "Even 'husband' and 'wife' can be just words."

Sonomi bowed her head. "I know that all to well considering my 'husband.' Where ever the jerk is right now. Yet those words carry a weight, and Sakura-chan already has too much of a burden to bare."

"True enough." He paused in thought. "How likely is it that Sakura-chan will marry this boy?"

"I would bet on it. It would be no surprise if they're already lovers. And they've faced many challenges and know more awaits them, yet they still stand together," Sonomi replied.

He rubbed his chin. "Perhaps I should meet him."

"Grandfather..." Sonomi trailed off.

He waved his hand. "Do not mistake me. I just want to meet the lad. I have no intention of interfering. I do not wish to revisit my regrets by making new ones."

Sonomi frowned. "Grandfather, Sakura-chan isn't ten anymore. She will likely see who you really are. Knowing what you've done to her parents... she may dislike you."

"Sonomi-chan... that is a risk I have to take if I ever want to see her again. And there may not be many days left for me," he admitted.

"GRANDFATHER?" Sonomi screeched.

"I'm not ill," he tried to soothe her. "I am old, though. I may not have been old enough to fight in the Great War, but I certainly saw the horrors of it. Even fleeing to America did not shield my eyes completely. And after the war, coming to Japan in hopes of making my fortune, and seeing the devastation that was Hiroshima..." He shuddered. "There are few left who have seen what I have, as they have passed before me. I want to finish my time without regrets."

* * *

**Card Captor Sakura: Shadow of the Dragon**

**Chapter 24: Sakura and the Return to the Summer Cabin**

_By: Lord Archive_

Card Captor Sakura belongs to the fine ladies of CLAMP. Used without consent, all rights reserved.

Author's Warnings:

This contains mature themes not intended for children under thirteen.

This series contains:

Adult situations.  
Sexual situations withOUT detailed description of sex nor the naked human body.  
Brief moments of violence, some cases involving people getting severely injured and possibly death.  
Occasional use of vulgar language.  
Japanese humor: which include bathroom jokes, panty fetish and shocking situations.  
Depictions of criminal activity committed by fictional characters.  
References of homosexuality.

* * *

"I'm home," Fujitaka called out as he entered his house and quickly got a reply of welcome from his daughter. He made his way to the kitchen and smiled as he saw his daughter cooking dinner with help from her boyfriend. "How was your day?"

"Good," Sakura chirped. "Oniichan and Yukito will be coming over to eat."

Fujitaka nodded. "And how was school today?"

"It was fine," Sakura replied.

"What about you, Li-kun? Anything special?" Fujitaka wondered.

"Not really." Syaoran appraised him. "Why did you want us all here tonight?"

Fujitaka rubbed his chin. "Was going to save this until diner, but it may be better to get part of it out of the way. Sakura, you remember the cabin we went to when you were ten? We'll be able to stay there for the weekend."

"Really?" Sakura chirped.

"Yes, we'll all be able to go, you as well, Li-kun," Fujitaka confirmed.

"That's great!" Sakura almost happily clapped her hands together, but caught herself before she would spill the food she was making. She then froze. "Wait... Oniichan and Yukito as well?"

Fujitaka nodded again. "Yes."

"Um... where would Syaoran-kun sleep? I suppose he could room with you. Oniichan certainly wouldn't like sharing a room with him, especially with Yukito around. There is the couch..." Sakura fretted.

"He can share your room," Fujitaka added.

"That can work." Sakura blinked. "Oniichan will really hate that."

"There's an understatement." Syaoran chuckled.

"That won't be a problem for you, will it Sakura-chan?" Fujitaka questioned. "If you have any concerns about your brother, I'll deal with him."

Sakura shook her head fiercely. "No! I don't mind at all. I've spent the night with him before."

"Yes, and your brother should hardly be raising a fuss about that now," Fujitaka noted. "You will be able to join us, won't you, Li-kun?"

"Please come with us. It's a really nice place," Sakura pleaded.

Syaoran shrugged. "I have no plans."

* * *

"Why did I insist Syaoran-kun come with me on the family outing?" Sakura bemoaned as she was getting ready for gym.

"Didn't you say your father invited him?" Naoko wondered.

"Yeah, but now we're going out to a cabin and sharing a room," Sakura pressed.

"Hardly the first time you've shared a bed," Naoko returned.

"I doubt that's what has Sakura-chan so upset," Chiharu interjected. "There will be times that you'll be all alone with Li-kun, won't you?"

Sakura nodded.

"And you're worried about the implied permission," Chiharu guessed.

Sakura nodded again, her face becoming red.

"'Implied permission?'" Naoko wondered.

"Sharing a bedroom, all alone, and knowing nothing will be done if certain... noises are heard," Chiharu spelled out. "I was in that position after I was engaged."

"Why are you worried about that?" Rika wondered. "You know Li-kun won't push you into anything."

"Well, that is... um..." Sakura began to look like a ripe cherry.

Meiling smirked. "You want to do stuff with Syaoran, just not necessarily go all the way."

Sakura nodded, not trusting her voice.

"Spell it out to Li-kun ahead of time," Chiharu advised. "My mistake was not talking to Takashi first. I put myself into a position I couldn't tell him 'no.' Before you go on the trip, set some ground rules with him."

"That's good advice," Tomoyo affirmed. "And remember what I told you during the marriage camp."

"Right, I wouldn't want to hurt him by letting him push me before I'm ready," Sakura agreed firmly, but then pouted. "But if I set rules with him, then he'll be expecting something and I'm not sure if I'll actually want to do anything."

"The rules don't just have to apply to the trip," Tomoyo pointed out. "It wouldn't hurt to set ground rules for other times you find yourself alone with him."

"What?" Meiling shot at some girls that were obviously eavesdropping.

"Sorry, just wanted to know what it's like having a boyfriend," one of the girls replied.

"A lot like the marriage trip, only more physical," Meiling shot at her.

"But my 'partner' barely worked, went through most of what we made buying food, complained I spent too much, and only paid attention to me when it suited him," the girl returned.

"Exactly, just add kissing and groping and that's what having a boyfriend is like," Meiling insisted.

"I wish I could argue the point," Chiharu muttered. "But I can't."

* * *

Syaoran looked over the cabin and surrounding woods. It was certainly scenic. He didn't know such out of the way places existed in Japan, especially one so close to Tokyo. There was not a single store in easy walking distance. "Guess there's not much to do around here."

"There's all sorts of things! You can explore the woods. There's a pond nearby for swimming. Oh, and I hope the nice man is still around, it'd be nice to see him again," Sakura rattled off.

"That works for the weekend, but it'd get boring living here," Syaoran commented.

"Would've thought you'd like the serenity and quiet," Touya shot at him.

"You can find your own peace where ever you are," Syaoran returned.

Fujitaka smiled. "A nice swim does sound good. I might take a dip after setting everything up."

"Toya and I will handle getting dinner ready," Yukito volunteered.

Kero-chan rubbed his paws. "What's for dinner?"

"That'll be a surprise!" Yukito chirped.

"That's cruel!" Kero-chan protested.

Sakura pulled out her suitcase and grabbed her boyfriend by the hand. "Come on, I'll show you our room."

As soon as Syaoran grabbed his bag, he was dragged into the cabin. They came to a stop at a room with spartan decorations and a decent sized bed adorn with purple bedding and a dresser topped with a vanity mirror.

"Oh, they put in a bigger bed than was here last time." Sakura set her suitcase down and tapped her lips. "Why does this place seem so... familiar? I know I've been here before, but it's more than that."

Syaoran shrugged. The room did carry an oddly friendly air.

Sakura popped open her suitcase and pulled out her one-piece emerald green swimsuit before starting to pull off her clothes.

Syaoran blushed deeply and quickly turned away. "Ah, Sakura..."

Sakura began to fidget, even as she discarded her bra. "It's okay, Syaoran-kun. You can look at me. I don't mind... Really, I don't."

Syaoran swallowed nervously as he slowly turned to look at her. The image of her putting on her swimsuit would forever be etched into his mind. He had long imagined what she would look like naked, and was surprised at how accurate he was. Course growing up with four sisters and his mother, not to mention Meiling's lack of modesty, Sakura was hardly the first girl he had seen without any clothes on.

"Come on, Syaoran-kun. Your swimsuit won't put itself on," Sakura teased with an embarrassed blush.

Syaoran nodded, but he didn't immediately move. He shook his head and quickly removed his shorts and underwear to replace them with swimming trucks.

Sakura's face went deep red. His desire for her was painfully obvious. He was not the first guy she had seen naked, having bathed with her brother and father when she was younger. She had even seen him before while he was in coma. However, she could not remember seeing... THAT being so large.

"Um, Sakura..." Syaoran shifted uneasily under her vacant gaze.

Sakura shook her head. "Right. Ah, let's go swimming."

"I could certainly do for some cold water," Syaoran muttered under his breath.

Sakura could only nod.

* * *

Syaoran slowly began to wake. He stiffened realizing not only was his hand up Sakura's nightshirt, cupping one of her breasts, his boxers were not keeping him covered. The only barrier to Sakura's virtue was her panties and that could easily be pushed aside.

Before going on the trip Sakura had put into words rules he had largely had already placed on himself shortly after Tomoyo had been attacked by Satome, that either she would initiate or give him permission before they did anything sexual. He was allowed to kiss her anytime he wanted, but anything more needed her approval. And last night they had certainly kissed. In truth, they hadn't gone any farther than they had in the past. He had touched and licked her chest, yet he had not been the one to touch her between her legs, she had touched him that way. Just as things were getting intense, she pulled away and rolled over. Sakura may not have immediately fallen asleep, but she drifted off long before he had.

Syaoran tried to pull his arm free of her, and she resisted the action. He was able to pull free and tossed on his shirt and shorts before exiting the room. He made his way to the bathroom and struggled to take a piss, his hardness being as much lingering arousal as it was his need to pee. Finally finishing his need to go, he left only to find his girlfriend's older brother on the other side of the door glaring at him.

Touya glared at him. "Have fun last night?"

Syaoran shifted uneasily. "Not really."

"Why not?" Touya demanded.

Syaoran looked at the man in confusion. "She didn't want to finish."

Touya blinked. "She's just been teasing you?"

"Not intentionally, I think," Syaoran admitted.

"So, you didn't do anything last night? Just seen her getting dressed?" Touya questioned.

"I wouldn't say 'nothing,' but... not enough..." Syaoran squirmed, wondering why her brother would even ask such things.

Touya smirked. "She's leaving you wanting."

"To the point it hurts," Syaoran replied.

"Good." Touya pushed him aside to enter the bathroom, seemingly enjoying that his little sister was giving Syaoran a serious case of blue balls.

* * *

Sakura led Syaoran down the road and came to a stop in front of an impressive manor house with a heavily European influence that she had visited five years ago. She peered through the gate inquisitively and smiled upon seeing an elderly British man walking through the front garden. "Hello. Remember me?"

The elderly man looked a little surprised. "You're not little Kinomoto Sakura, are you?"

"Yup!" Sakura nodded.

"My. You aren't so little anymore, are you?" the man commented.

"Nope!" Sakura grabbed Syaoran's arm. "I wanted to say 'Hi' and let you to see my boyfriend, Li Syaoran."

"Greetings, Li-san." The elderly man gave a slight bow. "I was about to sit down for some tea. Would you both care to join me?"

"Sure!" Sakura quickly agreed.

Syaoran gave his girlfriend's hand an uneasy squeeze.

Sakura whispered to him, "Just play along."

Syaoran didn't exactly let go of his apprehension but let Sakura pull him along. His feelings changed to confusion upon arriving at the back patio where three place settings and a steaming kettle was already waiting for them.

Sakura didn't even pause as she happily sat down at the table. "It sure has been a long time. My feet barely touched the ground last time. So... how has life been?"

"I can never seem to fully retire," he replied with a chuckle. "Even now I still keep an eye on the businesses I created."

"They're like your children, aren't they? Even after letting them go, you want to make sure they're doing well," Sakura surmised.

The elderly man looked at her thoughtfully. "Yes. Kind of like that. Now how have you been doing?"

Sakura pouted. "I've had a few problems I've been trying to sort out. I've been making some progress, but things are not nearly as easy as I wish they were."

"Life is not simple or easy," Syaoran added.

"Sadly true." The elderly man looked at the boy. "And how long have you known Kinomoto?"

"Fourth grade," Syaoran answered simply.

"Ah, but when did you two become a couple?" he pressed.

"Start of sixth grade," Syaoran answered.

"Short and to the point," he observed. "And you've been dating that long?"

Sakura blushed. "We didn't exactly start dating until this year. We had a long distance relationship for most of that time as he was in Hong Kong."

"Are you from Hong Kong originally?" the elderly man asked.

"Yes," Syaoran answered.

"What sort of work does your family do?" he wondered.

"We run and have investments in many businesses," Syaoran replied.

"Ah, not unlike me." He took a long sip of his tea. "Sakura-chan, there's a dress much like the one I gave you last time that should fit you just fine."

"Really?" Sakura chirped.

He nodded. "I'd very much like to give you it. You can go ahead and try it on. You can find it in what was my granddaughter's room."

Sakura patted her boyfriends hand. "I'll be right back."

Syaoran's gaze followed her. Then he shook his head. Something about this situation bothered him.

The old man looked evenly at the boy. "What kind of businesses does your family run?"

"Several different kinds, from shipping to a museum," Syaoran replied.

"Will you gain control of them when you're married?" he wondered.

Syaoran shrugged. "Not necessarily when I get married. I will likely become clan leader when I get older."

"Why wouldn't you become clan leader?" the old man asked.

"Destiny may exist, but life is filled with uncertainty. Anything can happen," Syaoran explained.

"Ah." The British man nodded. "You're surprisingly aware for your age."

Syaoran merely shrugged.

The old man gaze deepened. "Do you plan to marry Sakura-chan some day?"

"It is my wish," Syaoran stated firmly.

"What would Sakura-chan gain from that?" he pressed.

"Even if I somehow don't end up as clan head, my family's wealth will allow us to live comfortably." Syaoran really wondered why he was have this kind of conversation.

"Would her father gain any access to that wealth?" the man asked with a sharp edge to his voice.

"WHY?" Sakura announced her presence still wearing her shorts and T-shirt and holding a picture of a lavender haired teenage girl.

The old man and Syaoran jumped and looked at Sakura in surprise.

Tears formed in the girl's eyes. "Why? Father married my mother for love. You know that, don't you? Why don't you trust him? Why do you hate him?"

The old man looked down.

Wings formed on Sakura's back and she shot into the air.

"Sakura?" Syaoran cried out. "What is this about?"

The man never looked up. "How can I not dislike the man who took away my beloved granddaughter?"

"Sakura is your great-granddaughter?" Syaoran demanded.

"Nadeshiko was so young, and that man was her teacher. He shouldn't have been allowed to touch any of his students, yet Nadeshiko didn't get to finish school because he had violated her." Old Amamiya shook his head. "I know she loved him, and Kinomoto has never came to me for money. I've apologized to Kinomoto before... but hate, like love, is not easy to let go. I foolishly lost time I could've spent with Nadeshiko."

Syaoran felt a flare of magic that was not Sakura's and pointed towards it. "What's over that way?"

Amamiya looked up and was confused. "The family cemetery."

Syaoran paled.

* * *

Sakura landed, her heart guided her destination. A new wave of tears erupted as she read the tombstone before her, 'Kinomto-Amamiya Nadeshiko.'

She remained there, unmoving save for her sobs, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Syaoran-kun?" She looked up and screamed in horror. A ghastly skeleton with a tattered suit barely hanging on stood before her reaching out for her. The undead man was not alone as other skeletons clawed their way out of the ground.

Absolute terror gripped Sakura as their soulless eye sockets seemed to pierce through her soul. Their bone hands looked more like claws reaching for her. The stench of decay was overwhelming. Voices from her cards rang out in her head and she called for them to be silent in her panic.

Bones rattled against each other as the undead moved closer to her. As one reared it's arm back to strike, Sakura curled up into a ball and squeezed her eyes shut. She heard something strike the ground, yet felt nothing. More noised of bones clattering, but she remained untouched.

Slowly, reluctantly, Sakura risked opening her eyes. Before her wearing an old colonial styled dress was something that was more zombie than skeleton as flesh still barely coated the moving corpse. Sakura raised a hand to her lips, uncertain whether it was to cover a gasp or bile. "M-mother?"

The undead woman merely nodded. Her mouth crack as she opened it to speak, "Free us."

Sakura edged away. "H-how?"

"You know how," Nadeshiko rasped out. "Your train-" a crack in her throat prevented her from saying anything more.

Sakura tried to think. Her mother was suffering blows keeping the other undead away. The stench, clattering bones, claw like hands and soulless empty eye sockets already haunted her dreams. She had been trying to learn how to face this, her greatest fear. How had she beaten this before?

Her cards pulsed, trying to reassure her with their presence. She bit her lip and tried to calm herself as Yueh taught her. Reaching for something familiar she grabbed the charm on her necklace and began to chant, "O Key which hides the power of the stars, reveal thy true form before me. I, Sakura, command thee under contract. RELEASE!" What could she use to face the dark abominations of her mother's family forcibly brought back in a mockery of life? Fiery would obliterate the corpses, reducing them to ashes, but would that truly free them? What had she used before? She couldn't remember. Syaoran had said nothing, and Naoko complained about... "LIGHT! Severe the chains of undeath! RELEASE!"

The cemetery was filled with a blinding light. When it subsided, the dead no longer moved.

Sakura looked upon her dead ancestors and began to cry again.

"Sakura." Nadeshiko placed a ghostly hand on the girl's shoulder. "Thank you. And don't be upset at Grandfather. Your father has come to understand his feelings."

"Dad doesn't hate Syaoran-kun!" Sakura denied.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that. Some part of him likely does hate your boyfriend. Before long Li will take you from him. He may respect and like the boy, but he's still stealing you away. Just as your father took me away from my Grandfather," Nadeshiko pointed out.

"What he had asked..." Sakura persisted weakly.

"Wasn't something he should've asked," Nadeshiko agreed. "Grandfather hated Fujitaka for so long. He was sure I was being used to get at the family fortune, yet never did we ask for money even after we eloped to deny myself of a share of it. Yet if you were being used by your father to get a share of the Li clan's wealth it would justify that hate."

"Dad would never do that! He has nothing to do with my relationship with Syaoran-kun!" Sakura defended.

Nadeshiko smiled and nodded. "I believe Grandfather knows that as well. Though he may also be looking for reason to get between you and your boyfriend. He failed to 'protect me,' he may have wanted reason to protect you."

Sakura bowed her head in thought.

Nadeshiko looked up. "Though I know very well I do not need to ask, Li-san, do take care of my daughter."

"I swear I will." Syaoran approached them. "Sakura, are you all right?"

Sakura first nodded, then shook her head. "If there was ever a reason to hate the one out to get me..."

Syaoran had caught the end of the battle and knew exactly what had been done. "This would be it. To defile the graves of your ancestors, your mother. It is unforgivable."

Sakura looked at the picture she still was holding and pouted. "I got it dirty."

"It's fine. The frame protected it." Nadeshiko giggled. "Now why don't you go and get cleaned up so you can see your great-grandfather without any secrets."

"...Okay," Sakura reluctantly agreed.

Nadeshiko faded away smiling at them.

Syaoran began to guide Sakura toward the cabin they were staying at.

* * *

Amamiya looked upon the family cemetery with horror and outrage. "What is the meaning of this?"

Sonomi walked up behind him but avoided looking ahead. "It would seem Sakura-chan's attacker tried to exploit her greatest weakness... her fear of the undead."

"How could anyone know she would be here to dig up all these corpses?" Amamiya demanded.

Sonomi looked at her grandfather with serious eyes. "Look at the holes. They were dug from below."

"What?" Amamiya went to the nearest grave and noted how small it was and the lack of dirt around it. The grass wasn't even disturbed as it would be if dirt hand been piled up and then shoved back into the hole. "What sort of enemy has Sakura-chan found?"

"A powerful, cunning and intelligent one," Sonomi replied simply. "For some reason he wants Sakura-chan dead and almost succeeded before. If not for her magic and her friends, she would be."

Amamiya clenched his fists. "Why must this keep visiting my family?"

"Destiny can be cruel," Sonomi could only reply.

Sakura shyly entered the cemetery while clutching onto her boyfriend. "So... you know about magic..."

Amamiya gazed at the young teenager. "Your grandmother had some ability. She was unlike any other girl my son ever met. She may have been of noble blood, but she was a reluctant demon hunter. I still question if the accident that took them away was really an accident."

"I see..." Sakura looked away. "I'm sorry. If it wasn't for me... the graves wouldn't have been defiled."

"It's not your fault," Sonomi denied. "It's the fault of the one who is attacking you."

Syaoran glanced towards the skeletons. "The magic I sensed earlier isn't the same as the magic used by the one behind the other attacks."

"This was western magic," Sakura noted.

"Doesn't mean that her enemy didn't recruit some help," Sonomi pressed.

"Sadly true. This attack was to strike at Sakura's greatest fear, which by now her enemy knows about," Syaoran agreed. "With Daidouji's tapes, the enemy may have even set up the entire weekend for this attack. Planting the idea of seeing Sakura in her great-grandfather's mind, pushing him to ask questions and planting the picture somewhere for Sakura to find since I'm sure you hid all of them before she arrived."

Amamiya frowned. "I thought the maid might've missed one... but now I can't be so certain."

Sakura pouted. "So I can expect more traps like this."

"Another undead attack is unlikely, at least for the near future. The enemy has not repeated an attack yet, I doubt he'll start now," Syaoran theorized.

Sakura summoned her wand, which shook in her hands. "Great-grandfather, if you can point out who my ancestors are, I can put them back into their graves."

A black figure jumped down from a tree next to Sakura. "Wait on that. You may not be able to recognize who this was, I have an associate who is more experienced in western magic."

Sakura slowly shook her head. "When I used the Light, I flooded the area with my magic. It's impossible to get a good read on the one responsible. All I can sense now is my presence from them, so I can't even tell who belongs in which grave."

"Where were you when this happened?" Sonomi demanded.

"He beat me to the cemetery when it was already too late to interfere," Syaoran defended. "Your associate may not be able to get a reading from the bodies, but if we can find where he observed the battle from, there may be a trace of magic."

* * *

To say that Fujitaka was surprised at the invitation, would've been an understatement, yet he could not turn it down. Being here as a family was Nadeshiko's dream. While he was sure she was watching, it still hurt that she was not alive to see this family reunion in person.

Touya was asking Kurogane all sorts of questions which seemed to cause Tomoyo to be increasingly upset for some reason. Sonomi was trying to learn more about the attack from Kurogane's associate, Fye, and Yukito who had surveyed the area as Yueh. Meanwhile Sakura was wearing a fanciful colonial dress her mother once wore while dancing with Syaoran to a song from the radio.

Amamiya walked up. "Fujitaka, I find myself needing to apologize to you again. I asked some things earlier about you I shouldn't have."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Fujitaka replied. "I find I have to remind myself that Sakura is nearly the same age Nadeshiko was when I met her. I look at her and feel she's so young, too young to know what love really is, yet I know she's truly in love and isn't confused. When she looks at Li-kun, it reminds me so much of how Nadeshiko looked at me."

Amamiya laughed a little. "At least you're not repeating my mistake."

"I wonder if I'm making different ones. I give Sakura the freedom to live her life, but do I give her too much? I want to protect her, but I don't want to hurt her for my own selfish wants," Fujitaka related.

"And yet it hurts to look on as the one she goes to for help is that boy and not you. More and more it seems she no longer needs you." Amamiya sighed. "And that was truly my greatest mistake, believing that Nadeshiko no longer wanted me. In truth I was the one who turned away. Even now while Sonomi is a strong, capable person, she still looks to me for advice. I know Nadeshiko would've as well, if I had let her."

Fujitaka smiled ruefully. "I wonder how that'll work out once she's married and living in Hong Kong."

"Phone calls, e-mails, whatever they come up with next," Amamiya rattled off. "Just being able to communicate with you will be a comfort for her."

Fujitaka nodded. "I guess."

"Now why did Touya bring that guy with him again?" Amamiya asked.

Fujitaka frowned. "Love cares little for form."

Amamiya stared at his great-grandson. "He's a fag?"

"Grandfather!" Fujitaka snapped. "Touya loves Yukito for who he is, not what he is. If Yukito had been a girl, his love would not be changed."

"You let him carry on like that?" Amamiya demanded.

"If I tried to interfere, I would be repeating what happened with Nadeshiko. Forcing him to choose between me and Yukito and I will lose. Not only would I alienate Touya, Sakura would not forgive me either," Fujitaka defended. "Love is not something you can plan for, it just happens. If being with Yukito-san makes Touya happy, then I have no complaints."

Amamiya growled. "I may not agree, but I certainly see your point."

Tomoyo suddenly stood up and marched off.

"What's that about?" Amamiya echoed Kurogane's question.

Fujitaka smirked. "I've seen Touya ask questions like that before. I suspect Tomoyo-chan may have picked up a bodyguard for life and she knows it from Touya's behavior."

* * *

Tomoyo gazed over her great-grandfather's garden. "Sakura-chan... what's it like knowing the future?"

Sakura froze, not expecting Tomoyo to sense her presence. She then pouted. "I suspect you know now."

"The way your brother was acting... it was like watching him with Li-kun. And the questions he asked." Tomoyo shook her head. "I know what it's like to be in love. I don't have those kind of feelings for Kurogane-san... Am I really doomed to marry him?"

"You do know Oniichan can't predict the future, rather he can see that some people are connected." Sakura smirked. "Though I do sometimes wonder if my feelings for Syaoran-kun were fated. If I ever truly had a choice. It'd be so easy to give into my feelings and let him have his way with me, but would that truly be my choice?"

"You honestly love Li-kun, I'm not in love with Kurogane." Tomoyo looked down. "Yet you were right about him. He has been watching after me more than he should have. He... he has feelings for me. And if mother was to die today... he would be my first choice."

Sakura hugged her friend from behind. "It's scary isn't it? Knowing something will happen, and you don't know if you can do anything about it. I know I'll marry Syaoran-kun someday. I know I'll be happy with him. Yet I still feel trapped by it. It's my future, but in this I seem to have no choice. I will never date another guy, will never kiss anyone besides Syaoran-kun, will never know if someone else could have made me happy."

"It is scary," Tomoyo agreed. "Especially as I don't love him, and I don't know if I ever will."

"I wasn't in love with Syaoran-kun when Touya was being mean to him, yet my brother knew I would end up with him. He even sung an English song in class thinking about us. It was a song about a wedding with the bride already pregnant." Sakura held her friend tighter. "Just give it some time. I'm sure you will come to have feelings for him. Or you can take this as a warning and severe your ties with him now, before things go any farther."

"I can't just send him away." Tomoyo shifted uneasily. "We still may need his help. As certain as your love for Li-kun may be, your enemy may still succeed in either killing you or breaking you apart."

"Tomoyo-chan, I suggest that you don't fight it, but don't just accept it either. You can't force yourself to fall in love, it's something that just happens. Spend some time with him. Learn what he's really like. Get to know him," Sakura advised.

Tomoyo nodded slowly. "I can try. I guess this isn't really so different from an arranged marriage. At least he's not some stranger with money. Mother at least will know what I'm feeling in that regard."

"Right!" Sakura agreed.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Coming Next: The Troubles of Sakura's Friends  
Sakura isn't the only one with problems.

Obviously the distractions I've had have largely gone away as I've been able to write this in about a week's time.

I am well aware MOST Japanese cremate the dead. Sakura's Great-Grandfather is clearly not Japanese, for this series I've already referenced him to be British (he could just as easily have been from another European country, was from a mix of European countries, or was originally from America). While he has long since been a Japanese citizen, he still holds onto some of his European-centric Christian beliefs, which is why Sakura has been referenced as being baptized Christian earlier in the series even though she's more Shinto than any other religion.

Just a note about my website: due to lack of funds and that the price for the domain name became stupid expensive I was not able to afford it. I may some day put up a new website, but that will not be in the near future.

OMAKE!

Orohime seemingly bounced out of nowhere. "Ichigo! Last night I saw a witch!"

"Yeah, sure." Ichigo waved her off as he walked toward school.

"I was taking a video of the moon when I saw the witch!" Orohime pulled out a video camera with a view screen and pressed play as she showed it to him. "See?"

Ichigo's eyes twitched as he saw a blurry image of a person flying on a long pole with wings. "It's a bird."

"I thought so too, but then I zoomed in." And the image became a lot clearer and it was clearly him on the pole.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a witch? That's so cool!" Orohime whined.

"I'm not a witch," Ichigo muttered.

"Sure you are. You were flying a broomstick in front of the moon. You're a witch!" Orohime pressed.

"Girls are witches," Ichigo shot back.

"Then what are you called?" Orohime persisted.

Kon popped his head out of Ichigo's schoolbag. "Card Captor Ichigo! Or if you want a generic term warlock or sorcerer works as well."

"What a cute witch's cat!" Orohime cheered.

"Oh, mama! Neechan, I'll be your little cat anytime!" Kon jumped for the girl's chest which was rather impressive for her age.

Ichigo slammed the familiar into the ground. "You can just get lost."

"What if a card shows up while you're at the school? You'll need me!" Kon defended.

"Like a hole in the head!" Ichigo retorted.

* Characters in this omake are from Bleach and belongs to Tite Kubo and Shounen Jump, all rights reserved.


End file.
